


From Square One

by kaneshon



Series: A Fated Meet [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alpha Uchiha Sasuke, Alpha/Beta, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Uchiha Sasuke, BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, Beta Uzumaki Naruto, Bottom Uzumaki Naruto, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Insecurity, Jealousy, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Misunderstandings, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Oblivious Uzumaki Naruto, Sasuke Loves Him Okay, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Societal Norm, Strangers to Lovers, Teenage Drama, Teenage Stupidity, Teenager Sasuke, Top Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship, Unwanted attention, slight bullying, teenager Naruto, teenagers to adults
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:08:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 120,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28165269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaneshon/pseuds/kaneshon
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto, a Beta with Omega recessive gene, always thought that that no Omega or Alpha can smell his secondary gender. When an incident happened involving a hot ramen cup spilling onto the school's most wanted Alpha, Naruto realises that he has been wrong. Someone does notice his secondary gender and it's no other than Uchiha Sasuke, an Alpha with a cold attitude and a sensitive nose.--Aka how Naruto and Sasuke met and their journey from being strangers, friends and then to lovers while going through high school, university and work-experiences together.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: A Fated Meet [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1836532
Comments: 60
Kudos: 211





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. 
> 
> A/N: As promised, here is the first instalment of Sasuke and Naruto's how-they-met story! This story is formatted in a way that we'll be seeing into stages of their lives as we go along from how they met to how they became officially together and how they tackle the issues of being an adult and growing adult has on their relationship. I also hope that this gives insight to the societal norms and the world they grow in. With that being said, this story is divided into three chapters. Chapter 1 consist of their final year in junior high and then the first year of their high school. Chapter 2 would be the remaining two years of their high school life and then first year in university. Chapter 3 would be the remaining years in university before they tackle their first time working. 
> 
> So, I know most of you have been waiting for how they met so here it is! Forewarned that a) since they are teenagers, their behaviours including their friends' might come across as stupid and downright irritating sometimes. I think that's normal for teenagers and ones growing up in this world. I'm hoping as we go along on their journey to being adults, you and I can see their development into maturity, b) Forgive me for OOC-ness that definitely does happen in this series lol. It's been years since I watched this show; and c) I'll give a brief warning about some things here in case. 
> 
> Oh and, because this A/N is already so long, this first chapter is around 50K words rofl, so haha! 
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy! And I'll be updating Chapter 2 sometime in the next two weeks or so!
> 
> Warning: Slight bullying (junior high) and unwanted attention (high school but nothing happens, just wanna toss this in here in case).

**i**

**Final Year Junior High School**

Uzumaki Naruto, a self-proclaimed extraordinary boy who could do a few parkour if he was properly allowed to practise, was currently walking with Kiba to the nearest vending machine. It was break time and while Iruka had packed him lunch, he had taken one look at that and decided he didn’t want it. He would have to give it to Sakura as they passed by her classroom in a bit. 

“Man, are you listening?” Kiba whined as he punched his shoulder. 

The Beta winced, aiming a kick at his best friend’s shin only for the boy to jump away, laughing. “I’m listening, asshole!”

“Mean!” Kiba said, grinning. “You clearly weren’t!”

“I bet you were just going on about that Hyuuga girl,” Naruto teased, taking pride at the slight redness on his best friend’s face. They climbed down the stairs from their floor, heading to the first level where they knew their favourite vending machine was. “Why don’t you just go talk to her?”

“Her?” Kiba said, rubbing the back of his neck. “She’s way out of my league, man.” He frowned before he tossed narrowed eyes at the Beta. “Plus, I think she’s into you.”

Naruto raised his eyebrows, amused at that admission. He didn’t think so. Sure, whenever they had their PE classes, she would blush and stutter every time Naruto talked to her, but he doubted she liked him. Swinging his bento box up and down a bit, he shook his head. He slapped Kiba’s back, laughing when his friend continued on whining about Hinata. 

If only he wasn’t such a coward, he would’ve gone out with her by now. 

They exited the building to head to the machine closest to a long row of outside sinks where most sports students gathered. There were a few people lingering there but at least no one was occupying the squared, orange machine. Beaming, he jogged towards it before taking a look at the things behind the glass. Buying a bun, he bit on the end of the plastic to tear the packaging and taking a huge bite of the soft bread. 

“This is so good,” Naruto said. 

Kiba nodded, buying three more bun similar to what he was eating. “We gonna head to Sakura’s class before heading to the rooftop?”

“Yeah,” he said, showing the bento box to him. “I bet she would like Iruka’s food.”

“Man, you’re lucky Umino-sensei isn’t a teacher here,” Kiba said, shuddering as he had a faraway look on his face. Most likely recalling of their elementary school memories. “He’s scary when he’s mad.”

Naruto subconsciously itched to touch his head. Iruka liked slapping the back of his head when he had been a brat. Being a prankster back then had been worth it though. He couldn’t help the smile from crossing his face though. Because nevertheless, at the end of the day, the old man loved him a lot more than anyone else ever could. As an orphan…and…someone who wasn’t truly normal with his secondary gender, he had feared he wouldn’t be accepted, forced to be in foster home forever. It came to a shock when Iruka had been planning to adopt him for years now before he could finally make it official when he was twelve. 

Especially after _that_ day. 

The day he found out how—different he was. 

He stopped those train of thoughts. Iruka would be sad if he thought this way about himself. Swallowing past the lump that formed in his throat and the cloud of doubts that threatened to overshadow his bright personalty, he tuned in back to Kiba’s loud declarations of love for Hinata. _Again_. 

He listened with one ear, finally reaching Sakura’s classroom. There were a few people walking in and out of the room and he shamelessly leaned at the window where her seat was. Just as he suspected, the pink-haired Beta was studying while biting on the end of her mechanical pencil. Glancing at the sheet she was looking at, it was definitely Japanese literature. Gross. 

He dropped the bento box on her book without a care, startling her. She snapped her green eyes at him before a scowl crossed her pink lips. She pointed at the box with her pencil and then aimed it at his face. He grinned. 

“The fuck you trying to do?” she snapped. “I’m trying to do my work here!”

“Iruka’s bento,” Naruto said, not one ounce of remorse in his words. “I bought bun instead.” 

Sakura rolled her eyes, her shoulders relaxing. She dropped her pencil before she opened the bento lid, a smile crossed her lips at the food. She grabbed the chopsticks before taking an omelet roll, stuffing it into her mouth. 

“Thanks,” she said. “Oi, Kiba, Hinata went to the library with that smart-ass Hyuuga.”

Kiba, who had been busy scanning the room, startled from next to Naruto. He leaned at the windowsill, cheeks pinking as Naruto tossed him a cheeky look. Sakura simply rolled her eyes before she looked back at the Beta. 

“Here,” she said, grabbing an instant noodles cup from her bag. “If you can find hot water, you can have it. I was going to eat this after school but you’re giving up Umino-sensei’s delicious food for this, so.”

Naruto beamed, taking the cup from her. He would just need to find hot water and he would be able to eat this. Sakura simply huffed a breath at the wide grin on his face, pointing at a direction ahead of them. 

“I know that the Chess club have electric kettles for their members to make tea or whatever,” Sakura said, shrugging. “You would have luck finding hot water there.”

Beaming, he immediately took a step back, ready to go there. He knew where the room was and it wasn’t that far from here at all. Kiba nudged him, looking ready to follow him. With a wave at his pink-haired best friend, the two boys jogged away from her class to head to the Chess club room. Naruto was relieved to find that the door was unlocked. Weird. Usually club rooms were locked until after classes but he wasn’t going to question it. 

Sliding it open, he beamed happily when it was empty. He scanned the room to spot a small cabinet where an electric kettle was. And next to it was the sink. Great! Kiba pointed at the door, a non-verbal agreement that he would keep watch outside. Tossing a nod at him, Naruto quickly checked the kettle and decided the water was enough to boil. After two minutes, he had hot enough water to pour into his instant noodle cup and quickly joined Kiba.

Chuckling, he showed his latest possession to Kiba. “And voila! Ready to eat!” 

“Can’t believe they have an electric kettle here!” Kiba said, no doubt making a note to sneak in here whenever he needed it. Naruto nodded, agreeing. 

Just as they were about to turn to a corner of the hallway, heading back to Sakura, Naruto slammed face first against someone. Yelping, his cup of noodles splashed onto a chest and his own. He dropped the item onto the ground, hissing as he landed on the floor. Kiba was already crouched down next to him, grabbing his arm to make him sit. The blond-haired boy’s eyes filled with tears as the heat from the hot water met his skin. 

“Fuck, fuck,” Naruto whined, pulling the shirt away from his chest so that it wouldn’t hurt him. “What the fuck do I do?”

“Go to the infirmary, man!” Kiba said, not even waiting for him to retort. His best friend yanked him to his feet with strength he didn’t think he had. “Yo, couldn’t you have watched where you’re going?” The second sentence was aimed at a taller boy who was glaring at his messed up white shirt. 

At the question, the boy with dark eyes snapped at them before they narrowed. Naruto decided he didn’t want to bother with a fight, more concerned about his skin than anything and pushed Kiba away, moving past the boy to the infirmary. Before he could though, pale fingers grasped his arm, forcing him to stop moving. 

Naruto jolted, looking at the taller boy with furrowed eyebrows and blurry vision. “Let me go! Ineed to go see the nurse, dumbass!”

The grip on his arm tightened a fraction. “You’re the dumbass here. Are you fucking blind?”

Bristling at the tone, he yanked his arm away from him and flicking a middle finger, rushing past him to get to the nurse’s office. He didn’t even bother to stop Kiba from hurling insults at the boy before following him. His heart hammered against his chest as he slammed into the infirmary, shocking the nurse who had been checking the glass cabinets. 

“I need help!” Naruto exclaimed. “I think I’ve burned my skin!”

The nurse’s eyes widened before she gestured at the blond-haired boy to an empty bed. A quick examination however revealed that at most, his skin was reddened from the heat. Nothing too damaging. The nurse gave him a tube of burn medicine to apply, sighing with a soft smile on her face when Naruto sniffed and applied it on his skin. 

“You’ll be fine, Uzumaki-san,” the nurse said. “Just use that and here’s a spare shirt. Then, get to class. Break’s almost over.”

Nodding, the nurse left Kiba and him alone. His best friend moved to sit next to him, eyeing his chest. When he tried to touch him, Naruto pulled away, pouting as he finished applying the ointment. It stung. If Iruka found out, he was going to be skinned alive. A shiver ran down his spine at the very thought. Changing into a new pair of shirt gifted to him, he prepared his funeral mentally. His pale face must’ve shown clearly because Kiba only gave him a meek smile. Wonderful. 

“I’mma skip class,” Naruto said, tossing the dirty shirt next to him. “You can go to class first.”

“Nah, man, I can keep you company,” Kiba said. 

The Beta shook his head. As much as he would like that, he had half a mind to just take a nap. And he didn’t think it would be wise if both of them went missing from class. Instead, he nudged his best friend to get out of the infirmary, waving when the dog-lover reluctantly did so. When he was finally alone, he sighed. Grabbing a pillow, he hesitated before decided he would indeed take a nap. 

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the curtain yanked open causing him to scream. Standing before him was the very boy he had left at the hallway. Who had glared at him like he was nothing more than a bother. A pale hand that had been busy unbuttoning his shirt paused when their eyes met. A few seconds passed before them before Naruto huffed a breath. 

Whatever. 

He grabbed the pillow and slumped his head on it, turning his back on the boy and curled a little to the edge of the bed. For a second, no other noises were made. Well, that was what he thought. When the bed dipped behind him, signalling a weight had settled at the edge, he snapped his head over his shoulder to investigate the source. And he scowled. Back hunched, the tall boy was clearly using the ointment given to him by the nurse to treat his skin. 

“Oi,” Naruto said, unable to hold back his nosy self as he sat up. When the boy made no move to reply, he frowned. Irritated, he nudged the boy’s shoulder with a finger. His body flinched but that was all the boy did, ignoring him. “Oi!” 

This time, he nudged the boy’s back with his knee. That was enough for the boy to turn his body, placing his leg folded on the mattress while the other remained on the floor. The glare tossed at him was so heated that Naruto was sure that if looks could kill, he would be a melted puddle by now. But not one to back down, he glared back. 

“The hell you doing here?” Naruto said. He pointed to the other beds next to him, empty. “Go there!”

The boy simply huffed a breath, going back to wiping his skin with the ointment. Naruto was about to snap when his gaze finally landed on the skin. His eyes widened and his body stiffened at the harsh redness on it. Immediately, his heart lurched in his chest. He grabbed the boy’s wrist, halting his movement as he stared at what could be a burn. 

Guilt bubbled at the pit of his stomach. “That looks painful,” Naruto said, a bit weakly. 

The boy simply twisted his arm away from his grasp, going back to treating his battle scar. He then screwed the ointment bottle cap on and tossed it at the Beta’s lap. Without hesitation, the boy stood up, buttoning his shirt and left him alone. Naruto opened and closed his mouth, a part of him wanted to chase after the taller boy to check his skin. But…no. 

It was best if they didn't speak again. After all, Naruto didn’t want to get punched in the face looking at how scary the boy’s glare was. He sighed as he flopped back on his bed. As the ointment bottle rolled off his thigh and to the floor, clattering, he could only ignore it and close his eyes. 

What a bad day.

***

The ramen-spilling day had ended up with Iruka yelling at him for thirty-minutes straight before Kakashi had calmed him down and they both tended to his chest. He supposed that was as good as anything. At least he didn’t end up dying. He shoved a hand in the pockets of his uniform pants as he walked down the hallway, the other hand cradling a juice box as he climbed up the stairs to the rooftop. Kiba had ended up dragged by Ino to stalk Hinata and Sakura had to go see their Japanese language teacher about an errand. So, alone it was. He _could_ go find Shikamaru but he could already imagine the boy sleeping in class. 

Oh well. Being alone was good too. 

Sucking the juice from the box, he reached the rooftop. He paused when the door was slightly ajar. Someone else was here? He walked into the area, eyes squinting at the noon sunlight shining down at him. Scanning the place, he couldn’t really see anyone else. Humming a little under breath, he turned to a corner where there was shade only to stop short at a boy sleeping on the ground, head under the shadows. 

It was the boy from yesterday. 

Naruto blinked, staring at him and how peaceful he looked before his gaze landed at his covered chest. He stopped sucking his straw then, pulling it out of his mouth. He wanted to turn and walk away but…it had been bothering him since yesterday night. At the end, he walked up to the boy and sat next to the body. 

Placing his half-empty box of juice next to him, he stared at the chest before he lifted his gaze at the boy’s face. He seemed to be sleeping. Should he even check? Maybe just a peek and once he was sure he hadn’t permanently scarred the boy, he would leave. With that thought in his mind, he grazed a button closest to what he assumed was the area of burn. But before he could unbutton the shirt, a pale hand grasped his tan one, holding him tight in his grasp. 

Startled, he stared wide-eyed at the taller boy. Dark eyes were boring into his blue ones for a few seconds, the grip on his wrist tightening just a fraction. He should probably explain. But before he could, the boy sat up, pulling his hand away. The monotonous look on his face made him want to fidget where he sat. Instead, he grabbed his juice box and sipped on the straw. 

“What do you want?” the boy asked, his voice flat.

Naruto tilted his head to the side a little before he said, “I just want to know if you’re hurt. From yesterday.”

Seemingly that had been the wrong thing to say because the boy rolled his eyes and got back to lying on the ground, turning his back against Naruto. Stunned at that, the Beta remained quiet before a mischievous smile crossed his lips. Well…this one’s interesting. Unable to resist the urge, he poked the boy’s shoulder. Once and then twice. 

When he poked him for the third time, the boy grabbed his hand and pushed it away. Then, he lay on his back, sighing loudly. 

“I’m fine,” the boy said, staring at the sky. “Now, get lost, Beta.”

Naruto froze at the use of his secondary gender title. He had known he was a Beta. A weird sensation covered his chest, his grip on his juice box tightening a fraction until some juice bubbled out in the small space between the straw and the hole. The boy snapped his gaze at him before he sat up, a frown crossing his face. 

“You trying to make a mess of my clothes again?” the boy snapped. 

Instead of answering him, Naruto said, “How did you know I’m a Beta?”

The boy frowned deeper. “What?”

“You said I’m a Beta,” Naruto said, shifting to his knees to look at him in the eyes better. “How did you know I’m a Beta?”

The boy searched his face. For a second, his monotonous mask broke to reveal a swirl of confusion in those dark eyes. And it struck Naruto at how expressive this boy was. As quick as that thought crossed his mind, the mask on the boy’s face went back up. The boy instead of getting up to leave, shifted to sit properly to face him. 

“Alpha,” the boy said, pointing to himself. He then touched his nose. “Have a bit of a sensitive nose to scents.”

Scents. A little eager at the fact that an _Alpha_ had scented his secondary gender, he had to know if his recessive genes showed. Maybe he was normal after all. Maybe he didn’t have to worry about how weird he would be to Alphas and Omegas. Hopeful, he shifted closer. The boy narrowed his gaze, tilting his body backwards to keep the large space between them. 

“How do I smell like?” Naruto asked. 

“ _What_?”

“How do I smell like?” Naruto searched his face. “This is the first time an Alpha could tell my secondary gender. Well, only Alpha. So, I’m curious.”

The boy looked like he didn’t know what to say. And for a moment, Naruto wanted to pat his shoulder to tell him to take his time. But he was impatient. 

“I’ll give you this box of juice,” Naruto said. “I haven’t finished it and it’s the last one in the vending machine downstairs. The one closest to the outdoor sinks. So?”

The boy furrowed his eyebrows. “I don’t want your drink, stupid.”

“Oi!” Naruto said, offended. “I’m trying to make a bargain with you, bastard.”

“Go bother someone else,” the boy said, deciding he had enough of Naruto and tried to stand up. Immediately, he grabbed his hand, forcing the taller boy to sit back down. “Oi!”

“Naruto,” the blond-haired boy said. “I’m Uzumaki Naruto but you can call me Naruto. What’s yours?”

“What is _wrong_ with you?” the boy said, sounding put off. When Naruto simply tightened his grip on his hand, he said, “Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke.” 

He seemed to spit his words out like he hated it but Naruto still gladly took them. 

“Sasuke,” Naruto said, not one ounce of shame for using his first name so freely. “My scent.”

“Let me _go_ , you idiot,” Sasuke hissed, snatching his hand away. “And don’t use my first name so easily. Are you that shameless?”

“You can use my first name,” the Beta said, unfazed. “My scent!”

“For fuck’s sake,” Sasuke whispered, shoulders slumping. “Fine. Just leave me alone after this. You smell like a meadow.”

The Beta stared at his face, taking that in. “A meadow?”

“Yes,” Sasuke said, rolling his eyes. When Naruto frowned, he huffed a breath. “What?”

“A meadow,” Naruto said, tasting the words. Huh. He didn’t know if he liked it or not. 

But before he could say anything else, the Alpha had decided he had reached his limit and stood up. Naruto wanted to question him further but he supposed he shouldn’t push him so much. Instead, he stood up as well, grasping the boy’s arm only to receive a glare. 

“Here,” Naruto said, shoving the box of juice to Sasuke’s chest. “My payment. Thanks, man!” 

Sasuke grabbed the juice, looking close to slamming it at his face before the shoulders slumped once more. “Whatever, idiot,” he muttered, walking away. 

Naruto rolled his eyes. “Jerk!” he yelled at his retreating back. 

Well…at least he got something out of it. Meadow. He smelt like a meadow and an Alpha had said that. He smiled. He didn’t smell like a mess, after all. And…he was relieved.

***

He twisted his waist, left and right as he stretched. Their gym class was outside this time and that was fine for him. He always liked this subject. Sports had always been his forte even if he struggled with his studies. And with his mischievous behaviour, gym class let him be himself without getting into trouble. Not by much. It didn’t help that his teacher seemed he was done every time his eyes landed on Naruto. And never tell him that he wouldn’t take it as a challenge. He would impress the teacher! Jumping a little on his feet to get his heartbeat up, he scanned the field before his eyes landed on a group of boys and girls heading their way. 

They weren’t from his class. That was odd.

“Gather around,” his teacher said, blowing his whistle. “Come on!”

Naruto jogged a little to stand before his teacher. “Hey, Coach. Why are those people coming towards us?”

His teacher merely sighed. He didn’t really answer him but Naruto patiently waited. It was when he saw a familiar figure that he paused. This was not just another class. This was a class where the only Alpha in the whole world so far had been able to tell his secondary gender properly at a heartbeat. He kept his gaze on the taller boy. Even from where the Beta was standing, he could see those dark eyes filled with annoyance as a few girls gathered around him. When Sasuke finally stood at the back of the crowd, the girls made a semi-circle to talk about him and with him. Not that the Alpha replied back, preferring to stare ahead at nothing. 

Naruto blinked. _Meadow_. 

The Alpha who could smell he was a Beta and told him he smelt like the meadows. He hadn’t seen the boy since that day at the rooftop and that had been two weeks ago. A spark of amusement and eagerness crawled and settled in his chest. Without thinking twice, he bounced to where the boy was. Ignoring the way the girls surrounding him went silent at the Beta taking a stand next to Sasuke, he nudged the taller boy with his elbow. 

Sasuke glanced at him before he looked away, shoulders squaring. 

Amused, Naruto nudged him again. 

Still, the silent treatment. 

“Alright, I thought it would be a good thing to mix your class with Mr Helio’s class for gym seeing how he’s on paternal leave,” his gym teacher said. “Everyone pair up. Let’s get the class started.”

Naruto immediately took that as a chance to cling to Sasuke. He grabbed the Alpha’s hand and raised it to the sky, startling everyone. “I wanna pair up with Sasuke!”

The entire two classes grew silent, all eyes on them. Naruto quirked one side of his lips upwards. When he glanced at Sasuke, those dark eyes were now on him. The Alpha searched his face before his gaze landed on their hands still in the air, clasped together. The Beta raised his eyebrows before a grin crawled on his face. 

Then, the murmurs began. It was just one whisper and then another before no one was _not_ whispering. Naruto was used to them to glaring and speaking about him, but what really shocked him was when his secondary gender was brought up in question. 

“Is that a Beta?” one person whispered.

“Don’t know. No one knows. He doesn’t smell like anything. Not even _like_ a Beta. _Maybe_ he’s a Beta?” another answered.

“Why is that Beta with Uchiha-kun?” one of his classmates quickly added. “Does he not have any shame?”

Naruto flinched visibly at that as he dropped their hands. While he was used to have people calling him names over his stupid behaviour, his hair colour, his eyes—this was the first time him being a Beta became a problem. That was new. 

He also didn’t think anyone noticed his weak scent, even as a Beta. He was sure that no one really cared. But he had been wrong. Apparently, even standing next to Sasuke had elicited some kind of a domino effect. One that he feared for. He swallowed past a lump forming in his throat as he subconsciously took a small step away from the Alpha. 

He didn’t realise he had made a mistake.

Was it bad to befriend an Alpha?

“Fine,” Sasuke said, catching his attention. When his blue eyes landed on him, the Alpha was staring at his gym teacher. “I’ll be his partner for this class.”

Naruto almost chocked on nothing. The amusement had long faded, replacing it was anxiety over the situation. Slight regret pooled at the pit of his stomach. The murmuring quietened then as the teacher cleared his throat, urging them to hastily pair up. Naruto glanced down as he scratched the back of his neck, unsure of what to say now. When the crowd dispersed to start on their own sports, the duo stood next to each other and not making a move. 

“Uh,” Naruto said, chuckling a little in nervousness when the Alpha glanced at him. 

“Come on, idiot,” Sasuke said as he shoved his hands in his gym pants pockets, heading to the basket of balls. 

He grabbed a football, not waiting for the Beta as he moved to the other side of the field.

Naruto quickly followed him, catching the ball with the sole of his right foot when Sasuke kicked it gently at him. He eyed it before looking back at the taller boy. Kicking it back, he allowed the rhythm of them kicking back and forth to be the source of noise between them. While he could usually shake off what people said about him, it always took him a bit longer to get through if something new was tossed at him. 

At a particular kick from Sasuke, the ball rolled away from him to somewhere behind them. Naruto raised a hand, tossing a distracted grin at the taller boy before finding the round thing near two girls. Jogging up to them, he smiled before bending down to take it. It was then he stopped when the girls turned their attention on him. 

“Hey, why did you pair up with Uchiha-kun?” one of the girls in a ponytail asked. 

Naruto stood straight, placing the ball under one of his arms. He didn’t know how to answer that, only that he disliked the tone of their voice. And since quick responses were his forte, he said, “Because he’s cool?”

Technically, because Sasuke intrigued him ever since he said he smelt like the meadows. He wanted to know more about the other teen. But it seemed that had been the wrong answer because the girl narrowed her eyes and pushed him slightly. He stumbled just a tad backwards, alarmed. He glanced around, a bit relieved that no one was looking at their direction. 

“Leave Uchiha-kun alone,” she said, her cheeks reddening. “You’re just a Beta. Don’t be so cocky trying to get close with an Alpha like him.”

Naruto’s heart sank into the pit of his stomach. 

“Actually, are you even a Beta?” the other girl snarked. “I can’t smell your designation on you. Didn’t you present? Or are you one of those abnormals?”

Abnormals? Naruto took that word and shoved it to the back of his mind to later re-examine them. Nevertheless, his heart squeezed in his chest at those cruel words. Instead of replying, he simply tossed another smile at them before going back to the taller boy, mind scrambled even more. As he kicked the ball back at the Alpha, he scanned the taller boy. 

With his pale skin and dark hair and eyes, he was pretty. 

He could see why girls would go after him. When the Alpha met his eyes and raised his eyebrows, Naruto grinned and kicked the ball back to his grasp. 

And he was an Alpha. 

Who wouldn’t want him?

It was bad to befriend an Alpha, it seemed. 

Once gym class was over and he had changed back into his own clothes, his mind ran back to how those girls called him abnormal. Was he? He knew it wasn’t an actual term. 

It was just what people who hadn’t presented yet was called. 

Still, being labelled as one was…disturbing. 

He was not normal. 

He curled his fingers into fists, taking in a deep breath as he took his seat in his classroom. And he had missed his chance to speak to Sasuke and question more about how he smelt. Slumping his forehead on his desk, his heart throbbed in his chest.

***

It was two days since the incident at the field. Sakura had left him early at her parents’ request to return home earlier and Kiba had ditched him to finally talk to Hinata. _At last_. He walked out of the school entrance, humming underneath his breath. There were a few groups of girls at each side of him but he didn’t pay attention to them. It was only when he had reached the entrance that he heard the girls talking louder. He stopped, turning around to see what was going on when he was grabbed by his wrist, pulled to run by a boy. 

Yanked, he couldn’t comprehend what was happening. He just ran with the boy. It was only when the dark hair registered in his head that he realised who the boy was. 

“W-What the hell, bastard?” Naruto screeched as he continued to pull the Beta with him as they both ran away from the school. 

When they took a sharp turn to an alleyway, Sasuke didn’t hesitate to pull him in and slam him against the wall. Naruto was about to yell when a hand clasped over his mouth and another hand placed a forefinger against a pair of pink lips. Dark eyes glared at him before he took a step closer to him. 

Naruto’s breath hitched in his throat as the Alpha seemed close to flattening his chest against him. When footsteps echoed outside did he realise what was happening. The squeals of girls lingered close to them before they finally left. With hands each at his side, his fingers dug against the bricks behind his back, eyes wide as he kept his gaze at Sasuke’s face.

The Alpha was busy looking outside, almost gauging if they were safe. It was only when his shoulders slumped that Naruto took that as a sign they were alone. He grabbed the Alpha’s wrist and yanked it away from his mouth. 

“What the hell, man?” he said. 

Sasuke snapped his head to look at him before a scowl crossed his lips. He took a step back from him at last, adjusting the bag over his shoulder. “What?”

“ _What_?” Naruto almost wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of this situation. He stood straight, pointing a finger at Sasuke, who only took another small step back from him. “You’re the one who dragged me to run with you, bastard!”

“Stop calling me that, idiot,” Sasuke said, rolling his eyes. “You were just in the way.”

And he couldn’t have pushed him away? A spark of irritation had him huffing a breath. He tossed a middle finger at the Alpha before he got out of the alleyway. He scanned the area, noting that they were indeed safe. It was tad amusing, he supposed, underneath the irritation, that the girls were after Sasuke like he was some celebrity. 

The appeal of an Alpha. 

“Where are you going?” The very Alpha spoke from next to him. 

Naruto glanced at him over his shoulders before he said, “Dunno.” 

He didn’t want to go home yet and he didn’t feel like studying either. His stomach grumbled and he was craving for ramen. Deciding to go to the nearby noodle shop, he left Sasuke standing there and walked away. A part of him while had been curious about the Alpha, that very thought was dashed when he _realised_ the difference between them. 

It was better if he stayed away from Sasuke. Reality had come knocking on his door and he didn’t want to be subjected to such a thing like that day again. People like Sasuke weren't meant to socialise with people like Naruto. 

And while that thought saddened him, there was nothing else he could do. 

Shoving his hands in his pants pockets, he took in a deep breath. At least he could fix himself with some ramen. As he was walking, he didn’t really pay attention to the pavement he was on. His right shoe got caught on a tile raised just a tad. Yelping, he didn’t get a chance to brace himself when his arms were immediately grabbed by a strong grip. A surprised noise left his mouth when his back hit a chest. Turning his attention to the person who helped him, confusion whirled in him when he met those familiar dark eyes. Sasuke clicked his tongue before he let him go. 

“Watch where you’re going, idiot,” Sasuke said, voice monotonous. 

The Beta straightened himself, rubbing at the arm he was gripped. He titled his head to one side before he said, “You heading this way too?”

Sasuke nodded, walking past him. Huh. The part of him that had been so ready to ignore Sasuke henceforth became less strong at just that one touch. Naruto hesitated before he jogged up to him, walking side by side. “Where are _you_ going?”

The dark-haired Alpha remained quiet for a few seconds before he gave Naruto a side-eyed view. “Bookstore.”

Naruto hummed under his breath. Bookstore. From one look at the Alpha, he did seem like the studious type. Well, at least the monotonous mask of his reflected such a character. Yeah, that fit Sasuke’s look. He seemed like the kind of guy who would study all day and be the top in his class. Tch, handsome Alphas often got the good of everything. He scratched the back of his neck. 

“I’m heading to Hana’s Noodle Shop,” he said though he was sure the Alpha didn’t care. 

He was proven right when he didn’t receive any reply. Cool. At least Sasuke allowed him to walk next to him and didn’t chase him away. That very thought had him pausing for a second, unsure why his chest tightened at those words. When they reached the junction separating them, Naruto jabbed a thumb over his shoulder and waved at Sasuke. The Alpha nodded and left to walk to the other side. 

Naruto’s mind silenced for a second as he took in the retreating back of the Alpha. So confident in his strides yet—those shoulders looked so lonely. 

Shaking his head, he rubbed the back of his neck and walked to Hana’s Noodle Shop.

***

“I heard a little bird saying you were seen being chummy with an Alpha,” Sakura said as she stared at him from across her table. Naruto was munching on his bag of chips, pausing at the words. When he glanced away to continue eating, she snatched the bag away and went, “Well?”

Naruto pouted, placing his chin on the back of the chair he was straddling on. “I’m not close with any Alphas,” he said, knowing exactly who she was referring to. They had met only three to four times, roughly and each time, they didn’t exchange much words. While it did surprise him that Sasuke chose to pair with him during gym class _and_ dragged him away at the entrance when his fangirls chased after him, it still remained that he wasn’t close with him. “Give me back my bag of chips!”

“Geez, Naruto,” Sakura said, relenting her grip on the snack. “You’re seen hanging around that Uchiha.”

Naruto sighed. “It was just one meeting. At the fields during gym. And that happened like a week ago!”

Sakura didn’t have to know about the other few times they met. What had him worried was how fast the rumours had reached her ears. Why were people even talking about him?

“Well, that boy has a huge following of lovesick girls and boys,” she said, rolling her eyes as she leaned into her seat. “It’s the talk of the school. A Beta seen trying to seduce the infamous dark prince of an Alpha.”

“Dark prince?” Amused at the nickname, he snorted. Sakura didn’t find it funny, not when she kicked his shin from under the table. Yelping, he dropped his bag of chips on her desk and rubbed his aching leg. “That hurts, Sakura!”

“Naruto,” she said, eyeing him seriously. “Be careful.”

The Beta shrugged. “It’s not like I know the guy.” He looked at his table, his mind racing back to the time the Alpha told him he smelt of meadows. The only Alpha so far who had commented on his scent. Who could smell him. “He just…”

“Stay away from the Uchiha,” Sakura said, catching his gaze. “You’ll just get hurt if you try to befriend him. I know you.”

She got up, patting his shoulders as she walked past him. Naruto sat there, frowning as her words echoed in his head. He huffed and went back to eating his bag of chips. It wasn’t like he wanted to befriend Sasuke. He didn’t even know him and the brief encounters he had with him had been tolerable at best. He paused as he had another chip in his mouth. 

And yet…he had been the only Alpha so far to comment on his designation properly. And that he smelt of meadows.

***

He found himself at the rooftop after the brief talk with Sakura. He had a box of orange juice in his hands, sipping on it. It was a good, bright day and half of him was tempted to catch a nap and skip the rest of the classes. Sure, Iruka would murder him when he got home but…napping sounded great. What he didn’t expect when he walked into the rooftop was to meet with Sasuke. 

The Alpha was sitting against the wall near the door, munching on his bread as he stared ahead. Naruto looked at him for a second before he glanced back at the entrance. While he was aware that he should keep his distance from the Uchiha, at least so he didn’t get anymore rumours tacked on him, he didn’t want to walk away from the rooftop. 

At the end, he picked a spot in the middle of the space and sat down to drink his juice. When wind blew at them, he smiled. Without thinking twice, he lay on the ground and stared at the blue sky. This was nice. Though, now he had a hard time drinking his juice. Trying anyway, at a particular suck of his straw, the orange juice ended up in the wrong pipe and had him sitting up to cough. 

“Fuck,” Naruto whispered as he cleared his throat, eyes burning from his nose aching. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand, wincing at the lack of tissues. He heard a brief snort from behind him and he snapped his head at the Uchiha, rolling his eyes. “Shut up, asshole.”

Sasuke simply raised his eyebrows as he ate his bread, making no move to help. Naruto sucked the rest of his juice and crushed the box in his hand. He ran his fingers through his blond hair, taking in deep breath as another gush of wind hit his face. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he enjoyed the breeze. 

He wondered if his scent would ever stabilise. Would anyone be able to scent him in the future? 

At the thought, he snapped open his eyes.

The curiosity within him started to flare inside again. While he was cautious about Sasuke now after what had happened, he couldn’t help but to feel somewhat attached to him. It was silly because the root of it was because he had been the only Alpha so far to catch his designation. He was sure— _maybe_ that some other Alpha in the future would be able to tell what he was too. 

Maybe he would ask Sasuke about this once more and he would no longer talk to him again. 

He would do that.

“What?” Sasuke said, his voice caught his attention. 

Naruto blinked, realising he had been staring at him. Cheeks heating, he grinned before he turned his body to fully face him. “Hey, Sasuke…can you smell my scent even now?”

The Alpha paused in munching his food, dark eyes boring into his blue ones. After a brief second that seemed to go on for too long, he placed his half-eaten bread on his lap. Naruto tilted his head to one side, unaware if he had stepped past any lines. 

“Do you go around asking all Alphas about your scent?” Sasuke asked, his lips thinned into a straight line. 

“No?” Naruto stood up before he was standing in front of the Alpha. Taking a seat, making their knees bump, the Beta smiled. “Come on, man. Answer me.”

Sasuke’s left eyebrows seemed to twitch. “You’re a Beta. What more of a scent do you need?”

Rearing back like he had been slapped, he stared at Sasuke’s face. His cheeks heated and a brief wash of humiliation coloured his mind. Right. He was a Beta. He was lucky he even had a name for his scent. Most Betas smelt like nothing to Alphas and Omegas. They had some sort of scent, sure, but ultimately, they didn’t have one that had a name like he did. Only difference between them and him was that he smelt _absent_ of designation. At least to all but Sasuke. 

It was why he was so eager to know more about his scent and to know this boy. But with the rumours and how social classes had crafted their society, one he didn’t fit in…what was he even doing? 

He wasn’t sure why the lack of a scent bothered him. It was just…he was expecting something more from him. And yet. 

He squeezed his orange box before he forced a smile on his face. “Right.” He gave Sasuke a nervous chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. “Sorry, man.” 

He patted Sasuke’s right knee, ready to get up when pale fingers wrapped around his tan wrist. Halted, he held back a surprised noise when he was yanked down to sit back down in front of the Alpha. Curious, he searched the Alpha’s face before he paused at the warmth on his hand. It was…nice. 

Heart squeezing in his chest, he yanked his wrist away from Sasuke’s grip. “What?”

“I can still smell you,” Sasuke said. 

“Oh.” Naruto didn’t know what to do with that answer now, if he was being honest. At the end, he could only nod. “Thanks.”

The blond-haired man looked away when Sasuke remained staring at him. Nervously, he picked at his own knee before he cleared his throat again. Maybe he should leave. And that was what he did when Sasuke grabbed his bread to munch on it again without saying anything else. Assuming that the conversation ended, Naruto left the rooftop, his heart racing against his chest. He took in a deep breath as he rushed down the stairs. Only when he entered the hallway full of students did he allow himself to breathe properly. 

Sasuke could still smell him. 

And the previous, brief hurt he had felt washed away just like that.

***

“So, I asked Hinata out on a date,” Kiba said as he walked next to Naruto down the hallway. School was finally over and seeing how they were both in the ‘Go-Home’ club, he was ready to hit the arcade with his friend. It was a pity Sakura preferred her extra after-school classes to their nonsense. The blond-haired man grinned and slapped the Beta’s shoulder. “I can’t believe she said yes.”

“Told ya,” Naruto said as he slung an arm across his shoulders. “You finally got the guts.”

“Shut up, man,” Kiba said, grinning as he tried to kick him. 

Naruto bounced away, laughing. Just as the turned to a corner, he noticed a bunch of girls circling a figure who was leaning against the wall. The two boys stopped poking at each other to stare at the scene. The blond-haired man immediately realised that the cause of the small crowd was Sasuke. And…who was that holding him by the collar? 

“What the…” Naruto said, blinking.

“Looks like the Uchiha is about to get punched,” Kiba said. “Serves him right. Think just because he’s an Alpha, he could get away with everything.”

Naruto glanced at him before he looked at the scene. It was a commotion and the teachers weren’t anywhere near. He bit his bottom lip, his heart skipped a beat when the guy holding Sasuke by his shirt raised his fist. Fuck, he couldn’t stand there and ignore this. Before he could argue with himself, he slapped Kiba’s back and shouted, “Grab a teacher!”

“What? Naruto!” 

Kiba’s yell fell on deaf ears as Naruto pushed through the crowd and grabbed the Alpha’s collar, pulling him away. He was lucky that the bigger boy who wanted to punch Sasuke hadn’t seen him coming. Probably from the shock, the guy fell on his back on the floor. Sasuke opened his mouth, his eyes wide but Naruto didn’t give him a chance to speak. 

“Run, you jerk,” Naruto said as he grabbed Sasuke by his wrist and pulled him to start moving. A few seconds later, they were running down the halls to get to somewhere safe. When Naruto ran passed by an empty room, he quickly backtracked and rushed into it, pushing Sasuke inside. Without hesitation, he slammed the door shut. He then proceeded to drag the Alpha to the teacher’s desk where they could hide under it. “Shut up,” the Beta hissed, on his knees in front of Sasuke with a hand over his mouth. 

His heart raced against his chest as he silently listened for any footsteps. When a minute passed followed by another without anyone barging into the room anytime soon, relief washed over him. He sighed as he sat on his ass, taking his hand away from Sasuke’s mouth. 

“Ahhh,” he said, leaning his head back. “That was close.”

Sasuke remained staring at him with wide eyes before the boy sat properly, tugging at his clothes. Naruto tilted his head until he looked at the Alpha, searching his face. He waited for the inevitable ‘thank you’ but when he got none, he kicked Sasuke’s leg. The other boy pulled his offended appendage from Naruto’s vicinity, glaring at him. 

“Oi,” Naruto said. “Where’s my thank you?”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, rolling his eyes. “I didn’t ask you to save me.”

A burst of irritation had him on his hands and knees, crawling to Sasuke before he grabbed the boy’s shoulders. “Oi, don’t be a prick. He looked like he was built out of bricks! You could’ve been killed!”

The Alpha snorted under his breath, shaking his hands off of him. “Moron. He would just get suspended if he tried.”

Naruto wanted to retort but then he quietened. Stubbornly he said, “Well, you owe me one. I saved your ass anyway.”

Sasuke stared at him before he got out under the desk, dusting off his clothes. Naruto did the same, standing in front of him. Even here, hair a mess and his white shirt untucked from his pants, Sasuke looked—far different from how Naruto would ever look. It was a feeling of—god-like. It was hard to describe but it sent a rush of heat to colour his face. Taking a step back, he went to the classroom doors, pulling it to a side just a tad to glance at the hallway. 

It was empty, thank god. 

Just then his phone rang from inside his pockets, startling him. Plucking it out, he noted it was Kiba. The teacher had caught the one trying to punch Sasuke and the coast was clear. Sending a quick thank you to his best friend and ignoring when said friend tried to question him about Sasuke, he stuffed his phone back into his pant pockets. 

“What do you want?” Sasuke asked. 

“Want what?” The Beta tilted his head to one side. 

The Alpha crossed his arms against his chest. “You said I owe you now. What do you want? I don’t like owing people.”

Naruto snickered. He took a few steps towards Sasuke and leaned forward, watching with amusement as the Alpha leaned back a tad. “Nah, I’ll keep it with me and use it when I need it.”

Sasuke’s lips twitched into a frown. “No. Tell me what you want now.”

Naruto shook his head, taking a step back playfully. “Nah.”

“ _Naruto_ ,” Sasuke said, grabbing his arm to stop him from moving away. 

This was the first time he had used his name and it—was weird. A strange sensation took root in his chest. He froze just for a moment. He almost wanted to give in. He just didn’t know what that meant. 

“Fine,” Naruto said, a small pout forming on his lips. Sasuke let his arm go, raising his eyebrows as a sign for him to go on. He rummaged through his mind for a request he could have now. A particular thought caught his attention. He hesitated. “My…scent. You said it smelt like meadows. How exactly does it smell like a meadow?”

Sasuke’s shoulders tensed. Immediately, he wondered if he had crossed a line. Was it uncomfortable for him to keep humouring his questions? Well, Naruto had promised himself that he wouldn’t do this anymore. Alarmed at the reaction, Naruto laughed nervously, shaking his head. 

“A joke!” Naruto said. “Hah, you can just buy me ramen—”

“Why do you want to know how you smell like so badly?” Sasuke asked, taking a step towards him. 

Naruto’s throat dried at the question. Old-age insecurities bubbled at the surface of his mind. He took a step back, casting his gaze downwards. Avoiding those dark eyes. He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. He was about to retract his statement when Sasuke’s pale hands touched his shoulder. 

“Tilt your head,” Sasuke said, catching him off guard. When those blue eyes met the dark ones, the Alpha merely touched the tan neck. “Bare your neck.”

“What?” Naruto said, mind screeching to a halt. He knew what it entails in baring one’s neck. Especially in front of an Alpha. His skin crawled with the idea of submission. He had heard enough of how it was expected for a Beta to bow down to the feet of Alphas and Omegas. Shoulders squaring, he yanked his body away from Sasuke’s touch. “No!”

The dark eyes narrowed. “You want to find out how you really smell like, don’t you? Bare your stupid neck.”

“What the fuck for?” Naruto said, slapping a hand on his own neck. 

Sasuke’s face had a hint of red, almost like he was holding onto the last tendrils of his patience. He clenched his jaw before he carefully said, “So I can scent you better and _tell you, stupid_.”

“Hey, don’t call me stupid, asshole,” Naruto retorted before the word settled in his mind. Dropping his hand to his side, he gave Sasuke a sheepish grin. Ah. Still…the idea of baring his neck was scary. Something must’ve shown on his face because the Alpha sighed lowly under his breath and lessened the distance between them. On reflex, the Beta took a step back. “Oi…”

“Look,” Sasuke said. “I’m just going to sniff you and tell you. You don’t have to completely bare your neck. Just give me some room.”

“Can’t you just sniff my wrist?” Naruto asked.

“No,” Sasuke said, not giving any other explanation. 

Nervousness bubbled at the pit of his stomach. He was curious. And Sasuke was here, allowing him that chance. He hesitated still before he made a quiet noise under his breath. There was a choice to be made here and it was up to him to decide what he wanted. At the end, his curiosity won. He tilted his neck to a side, just a tad. It was enough for Sasuke to finally touch his shoulder again, the other hand of his placed at the wall behind Naruto, near his waist. Officially trapped, the Alpha leaned in close until his nose was barely grazing his tan skin. 

Heart racing against his chest, he curled his fingers into fists at his side. For a few seconds, they remained quiet. It was as if Sasuke had grown rigid against him and he wasn’t sure as to why. With one slightly shaking hand, he touched Sasuke’s back. 

“Hey, Sasuke?” Naruto whispered, cautiously while keeping his neck bared. 

A hand that had been planted on the wall suddenly clamped on his waist before he was yanked to flush against the Alpha. Startled, he grabbed the Alpha back tight. Eyes wide, he startled when Sasuke buried his nose against the crook of his neck. It should’ve been uncomfortable, but Naruto was surprised to learn it wasn’t. Even when those dark locks brushed against the side of his face. 

He didn’t know what to think! 

“S-Sasuke?” Naruto said, patting his back a tad. The Alpha remained like that for what seemed like eternity. While his heart raced in mild fear that Sasuke had snapped, he gradually forced himself to relax when Sasuke did nothing else but hug him. Slightly amused though flustered beyond belief, he gently patted the Alpha’s back. “Okay then.”

When it seemed like reality had sunk into Sasuke’s head, he groaned in slight pain when the Alpha pushed him away, hands tight on his shoulders and eyes wide. The back of his head hit the wall. Sasuke’s face was flushed red. 

“That hurts, bastard!” Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. 

Sasuke then took his hands away and stepped back. He ran his fingers through his hair before he exhaled slowly. It was as if he didn't know what to do before he settled to rubbing his nose. Naruto wondered if it was because he smelt weird. Offended, he stood straight, ready to chew him out when those eyes met his again, stopping him in his tracks. 

“Flowers and grass and earth,” Sasuke said, continuing to rub a finger underneath his nose. He cleared his throat, though the flush still remained on his face. “That’s how you smell like. Not a meadow. Not properly. But a mix of those things at once.”

Naruto relaxed back against the wall. Flowers. Grass. Earth. They were all a weird combination but one that complimented each other well. Was that a good thing? He nodded, still taking it all in. He at least had gotten a description that he could label himself with. 

“What…What was that?” Naruto asked, fluster colouring his words. 

“Sensitive nose,” Sasuke said, quickly. Far too fast. He frowned a bit before those dark eyes met his blue ones again. They narrowed just a tad. “You also had a hint of honey in your scent. It’s…confusing.”

“Oh.” Now, that was weird. A hint of honey. That was a sweet scent. One that was commonly found on—

_Omegas_. 

Startled at the thought, he stood straighter. Panic slowly coursed into his veins at the thought Sasuke might figure out that he wasn’t completely normal. At the end, he gave out a nervous laughter, not acknowledging his scent anymore. 

“Okay,” Naruto said. “Sorry…for asking you to do this. Uh…I’m going to go.”

He needed to leave now. At least so he could find a quiet place to process what he had heard. For the umpteenth time that day, a pale hand grabbed his arm and stopped him from walking away. But it was clear that Sasuke didn’t know why he had done it when he yanked his fingers away as if Naruto had burned him. 

The blond-haired boy simply waited for a response but when all he got was a stare, he said, “What?”

“You smell…nice.” 

Sasuke’s cheeks were still rosy but the words came out hesitant and…soft. It was in a tone that settled in Naruto’s brain like it belonged there, setting alight this confusing wash of softness through his body. A smile carved on his lips followed by relief. 

“Yeah?” he said, shoving his hands in his pants’ pockets. 

Sasuke pressed a hand over his mouth and nodded, glancing away again. But his ears were so red that it had him grinning. 

Hey, this Alpha was cute. 

And that was when he made up his mind. 

Befriending an Alpha was bad. But…maybe he could get away just this once with him.

“Hey, Sasuke,” Naruto said, “let’s be friends.”

“Friends?” The Alpha caught his eyes again. 

“Friends,” Naruto said, smiling. 

He didn’t think Sasuke would accept it, especially at how cold he naturally was. But when the Alpha took a step towards him and nodded, keeping their eyes connected—Naruto realised there and then he had opened a pandora’s box. 

And even then, he knew he wouldn’t come to regret it.

***

The next time he saw Sasuke, it was two days later and it was during the weekends. Naruto whined as Sakura dragged him to this sweets cafe that recently opened with the promise she would buy him ramen for dinner. As he poked at the strawberry cake, he took in the shop’s interior. All pastel pink and white laces—it was a really cute place. It made him happy to look at it. Warm and fuzzy inside. 

“Try this,” Sakura said as she handed him a plate of macaroons. 

Taking one to much on, he listened to the chatter around them. Just as he glanced out of the window of the cafe, he stopped eating at a brief passing by of the very boy he befriended. He stood up out of reflex, causing Sakura to look at him. Half of him wanted go after Sasuke. Even if they had decided to be friends despite Sasuke’s non-verbal agreement, they hadn’t really met to talk. 

He didn’t have the time with how Sakura and Kiba had begun hanging around him. Especially when rumours had doubled when Naruto saved Sasuke from the bully. 

“What?” Sakura said as she looked out of the window as well. 

“Nothing,” Naruto said before he made up his mind. Even like this, even from looking at him from afar, he got the sudden urge to look for him. And he wanted to chase after this feeling. “I’m going to have to go.”

“What?” Sakura squawked. 

Bowing at her and apologising, he paid for his half of the food and waved at her, leaving to head to where Sasuke had gone. Pushing past the crowd of people usually part of the weekend, he scanned around him before he found the Alpha. Beaming, he followed the taller boy donned in a black hoodie and a pair of ripped jeans. Even here, he was so easy to spot. He paused when the Alpha stopped walking just as he was a few feet from him. As if he had been detected, Sasuke turned to look elsewhere before the dark eyes met his blue ones. 

And as if that was what he had been waiting for, his heart fluttered in his chest. He curled his fingers into fists before he lessened the distance between them. 

“What’re you doing here, Sasuke?” Naruto asked, grinning. 

The dark eyes continued to bore into his blue ones before he sighed, ignoring him to continue walking in the direction he was heading to. Naruto didn’t bother thinking twice and just followed him. They were heading down the familiar direction to the bookstore. Amused, he nudged the Alpha to receive a grunt as a reply. 

“You like going to the bookstore, don’t you?” Naruto said. 

Sasuke shrugged as a reply. It was quickly apparent that the boy didn’t like speaking much and he didn’t mind it. He was often told to be a chatterbox. He wouldn’t mind wasting his words if he could stay by Sasuke’s side. Being his friend was different, even if they hadn’t officially hung out. 

As they entered the bookstore, the Alpha wandered to the non-fiction area. Curious, he peeked at the books that Sasuke chose. He immediately scrunched his nose at them. Plucking one from the shelves, he read the title. ‘ _What to Expect in a World of Business_ ’.

“This sounds boring,” he said to Sasuke. 

The Alpha snorted under his breath. “An idiot would think so.”

“Oi,” Naruto said, frowning as he placed it back in the shelves. “Why are you reading such books?”

“Not for fun.” Sasuke didn’t elaborate on that. But it had successfully piqued his interest. 

He nudged the Alpha. “Then why are you reading it?”

Naruto spluttered when the Alpha knocked his forehead gently with the book, walking past him to the cashier. Rubbing his forehead, he pouted as he followed him to the register and lingering around it to wait for him. There was a rack of books next to the counter. Usually, he didn’t like gravitating towards it but while there was a queue before Sasuke could pay for his book, he decided to check them out. His fingers stopped at a particular book. It was about mixed secondary genders. 

His heart thundered against his chest as he picked it up. Would there be something about him in it? Cautiously, he flipped through the pages of what he assumed biological explanations to how that would happen. When the chapter about Omegas and Betas emerged, he stopped. Skimming the page, he couldn’t understand much what was written in them. It was only when he came to the part about scents that he found himself paying closer attention to the words. 

Some Betas who had more Omega genes would give off a scent. Though in most cases, they would remain a blank slate. 

He thinned his lips, closing the book before placing it back on the shelf. He had been curious about bonding and the likes of it but he wasn't sure if he was brave enough to face that reality. He knew that he wanted to be bonded. He knew he wanted to spend a life with the right one, even if it sounded too romantic for a guy like him. But…when the time came, he would figure it out. After all, he was still young. Those things were for later. When a shadow casted over him, he turned his gaze to meet those dark eyes. 

Slight anxiety spiked with him as he snapped his gaze at the book he had taken. When Sasuke trained his eyes at where he was looking at, he swallowed past the lump of emotions in his throat and faked a smile. Slapping Sasuke’s shoulder, he gestured to get out of the store. They were quiet as they walked away, Naruto shifting his weight from foot to the other once in a while as he tried to keep his mind from racing back to what he had shown to Sasuke by accident. 

Just as they passed by a small store full of sweets, he jerked back. Fuck, wasn’t this store where Sakura was? He was aware of her vocal dislike about Sasuke and if she found out he went after him, she would skin him alive. He grabbed Sasuke’s wrist and jerked him a little faster away from that area, instead wandering around to an area where there were chains of fast foods and boutique stores. 

The Alpha allowed it for a few seconds before he stopped walking, forcing Naruto to stop as well. The Beta let his wrist go, giving him a sheepish smile. 

“Sorry,” he said. 

Sasuke huffed a breath. He remained there standing for a while as Naruto waited for him to speak. When it was clear he wasn’t going to speak another work, the blond-haired man frowned. The Alpha waved a hand to follow him as they head to one of the fast food stores. He wasn’t really hungry but he didn’t make much fuss as he followed Sasuke. 

As they lined up for queuing, he looked at the menu. Well, he supposed he could get a chicken burger set A or something. 

“Oi, what do you want?” Naruto asked. 

Sasuke hummed under his breath. “Whatever you’re getting.”

Amused at the suggestion, he cheekily said, “You gonna pay?”

Sasuke didn’t answer him, instead took out his phone from his hoodie pockets to focus his attention on it. He was a hard nut to crack, it seemed. Yet, he was still not being completely ignored so he couldn’t complain about it. And his question was answered when he tried to get to his wallet and Sasuke handed a card without another word when it was their turn to order. 

“Hey, I can pay for my own food,” Naruto said as he tried to stop the Alpha. 

“I can pay for both of us,” Sasuke said, his voice booking no room for argument. “Take it as a treat, idiot.”

Naruto bristled for a second but when the food was placed in front of him in his tray, he couldn’t really argue. “Fine,” he said. “But only just this once!”

When they found empty seats against the windows, they quietly ate. Well, as quietly as they could while being surrounded by the murmurs of other people. Just as he was about to take a bite of his burger, the silence was broken with Sasuke speaking. 

“I’m reading it because that’s what I’m going to do when I’m older,” Sasuke said, his voice just above a murmur. 

Naruto blinked. It took a while for him to realise what Sasuke was talking about. Munching on his bite, he glanced at him. “What do you mean? You some rich kid or something?”

Sasuke snapped his head to look at him before he searched his face. Then, he glanced down, a frown crossed his lips. Pale fingers grabbed a fry, twirling it before he dropped it on Naruto’s tray. It was clear that the Alpha didn’t want to eat, preferring to drop the fries on Naruto’s own food. One by one. It was—a weird move but the Beta didn’t cal him out of it. If he wanted to sacrifice his fry and give it to him, Naruto wasn’t going to complain. 

“You never heard of the Uchihas?” Sasuke asked. 

“Am I supposed to?” Naruto said as he sloppily took a bite of his burger, earning a grimaced look from the Alpha. When the taller boy handed him a napkin, he took it to wipe his mouth. “So?”

“No,” Sasuke said, quietly. “I suppose most people would call me a rich kid. My father owns a business and I’m next to take over it when I graduate from university.”

Naruto frowned a little at that. “That sounds like no fun.”

“ _Fun_ ,” Sasuke said before he snorted under his breath. “At least I like it.”

The Beta scrunched his nose. “Whoever likes reading boring books like that must be really dry. Dude, do you even have friends?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, taking a handful of his fries to dump it on Naruto’s tray. “Shut up, idiot. At least I know what I’m doing.” He then turned his body to look at the Beta. “Why were you reading that book back there?” 

Taken aback at the direct question, he almost choked on his burger. Slamming his food on his tray to grab his drink, he sipped on it until he no longer felt like he was being choked. 

“Not cool, man,” Naruto rasped. “The fuck?”

He squared his shoulders, ready to see the disgust in those eyes and the very thought hurt his very soul. He wasn’t sure why it did though. But when Sasuke merely stared at him without a hint of any emotion, it had him…dumbfounded. The Alpha also didn’t prod but it was clear he was gauging his reaction. 

Naruto opened his mouth to tell him off…but no words appeared at the tip of his tongue.

For the first time in his life, he had someone else who looked interested in knowing about his problems and he wasn’t sure of what to do. Looking around him, his cheeks heated up in shame and fear at speaking out loud. But even if he said it, would Sasuke look down on him? Would he be labelled ‘abnormal’ once he was done?

Sasuke looked back at his food, taking a box of nuggets before he placed it on Naruto’s tray. Naruto’s thoughts died at that move, making him pause. 

“Why the hell are you giving me the food you ordered?” Naruto asked, briefly bewildered enough that he forgot of his anxiousness. 

Sasuke’s hand stopped mid-air. And then the most peculiar thing happened. The Alpha’s cheeks tinted red briefly. “Just eat, idiot.”

“Bastard,” Naruto muttered under his breath as he ate his nugget, confused. “See if I ever give them back.”

“I don’t want them.”

And that had been that, the question wasn’t brought up again. And yet, it still circled in his head as they finished eating and began walking again. Would it be _fine_ to tell him? He didn’t know. He supposed he didn’t have to find out now. Instead, he changed the subject. 

“So, you have any siblings?” Naruto asked. 

Sasuke shrugged. “An older brother. Itachi.”

Naruto hummed. “Must be nice to have an older brother.”

“You don’t have any siblings?” Sasuke queried, his voice quiet as they kept walking. 

“Nah,” Naruto said. “I’m an orphan. Iruka and Kakashi adopted me at twelve, though.”

“Orphan…” Sasuke didn’t further his questioning but Naruto couldn’t help but to tense briefly at that. The Alpha stopped walking then, turning to look at him. “It’s very…minor. But your emotions change really quickly. And it reflects in your scent.”

Naruto was left standing there as the Alpha walked away. Stuttering in his words, he hesitated to follow him after that. His scent was changing? Sasuke could detect it? A burst of confusion had him finally lessening the distance between them and he grabbed the Alpha’s shoulder. 

“Sasuke, do you wanna come over to my place?”

He knew he couldn’t really question Sasuke about how differently he smelt in public, especially under prying ears and eyes. The question in itself had been innocent but when the Alpha took a step back as if Naruto had slapped him, he second guessed himself. 

He was about to retract the words when Sasuke blinked at him. “What?”

“Uh…wanna come over to my place?” Naruto scratched the back of his neck, heat crawling up his face the longer the Alpha stared at him like he had grown two heads. “Is that a no?”

Sasuke blinked a few times before he straightened himself. He had a furrow between his eyebrows as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Naruto wondered why that was amusing—but it was. At the end, he slapped the Alpha’s shoulders and left him standing there. 

“Come on, Sas!” Naruto hollered as he walked to the nearest train station.

***

His room wasn’t the cleanest but it was neat enough. Iruka would murder him if he let his clothes tossed everywhere. Not that he cared, but for his own life—he would rather keep them where they should be kept. In the drawers and away from naked eye. Sasuke was rigid, his shoulders tensed and spine straight as he stood in the middle of the room. He looked so out of place in a room full of oranges and…well pinks and purples. 

There were posters of his favourite bands on the walls and a shelf full of mangas. Naruto was proud of his room, if he was being honest. He had painstakingly decorated it to his liking. At least Sasuke didn’t look like he wanted to bolt, just pale. Paler than usual. He went to his bed and sat down, patting at an empty space next to him. 

The Alpha hesitated before he said, “I’ll sit on the floor.”

“Why?” Naruto said, frowning but he relented and sat on the floor against his bed, patting the spot next to him. “Dude, you look like someone jammed a stick up your ass.”

Sasuke glared at him as he sat down. “Why am I here?”

Naruto frowned deeper. “Do you not want to be here?”

Sasuke opened his mouth before he closed it, looking like he had been placed in a box and was told to find a way out. After a while, he just huffed a breath and looked elsewhere. Naruto was quickly learning that that meant he had nothing else to say to that. Smiling a bit, he nudged the Alpha and leaned against the bed frame properly. 

“I just wanted to know what you meant by my scent changes,” Naruto said, his voice a tad timid. “Can’t really ask while we’re out.”

Sasuke snapped his gaze at him. He stared at Naruto before he turned to properly face him. Placing a hand on his bed, he leaned forward, just enough to have the Beta wanting to lean back. There was a crinkle between his eyebrows. Under his scrutiny, the blond-haired man felt like he was being inspected. And he didn’t know how to feel about it. 

His heart nearly stopped beating though when Sasuke finally spoke. “Are you really a Beta?”

The question shocked him, causing him to square his shoulders. “What? Why?”

Sasuke searched his face. “You don’t smell like a complete Beta.”

“How do I smell like then?” His heart skipped a beat when the Alpha tilted his head to one side, as if he was seriously contemplating on that question.

“A Beta, but with something else.” Sasuke shrugged, his face a blank canvas. 

Naruto clasped his own fingers together. He had a decision to make. He could either tell Sasuke and risk being judged or make something up and risk lying. He bit his inner cheek, furrowing his eyebrows for a few second. 

“I…” Naruto’s throat dried. He didn’t know how to say the words even though he knew what those words were. He made a noise under his breath that had Sasuke shifting close to him. He looked away, letting the fringes of his blond hair to cover the sides of his face. “I…”

“Your scent changes from something grassy to something slightly sweet,” Sasuke said, saving himself from the word choke he found himself in. “Like now. When you’re distressed, your scent changes into something sweeter.”

Naruto clasped a hand over his mouth while the other covered his neck. He kept his head bowed, taking in the information. It was only when he finally could speak without feeling like he was being choked that he took in a deep breath and looked at Sasuke. His heart skipped a beat when there was a calm look on his face. 

As if…

“You know,” Naruto said, panic bubbling in him.

Sasuke didn’t even hesitate. He nodded before he leaned away. He tapped on his nose. “Sensitive nose.”

“I…”

The Alpha was quiet for a few seconds before he said, “Are you okay?”

“This…is the first time someone could smell…the difference on me,” Naruto said, words hitching in his throat. “I didn’t think…”

Sasuke didn’t say anything but the mask on his face broke just a tad. There was something in those dark eyes that had Naruto looking away. He curled his legs to his chest as he pressed his cheek on his knee, facing the Alpha. He waited for the questions, for the disgust but there was none of that on the Alpha’s face. 

“Sensitive nose,” Sasuke said, repeating himself. “So…”

And…that reply brought forth relief in his chest. “You…I’m a Beta but I have Omega recessive genes.”

He waited for the inevitable words of disgust when he confirmed it. For even a smirk from the Alpha as if he was a disgrace. But all he got was Sasuke nodding. “Okay.”

There wasn’t an ounce of judgement in his voice and that was…new. 

Something he wasn’t…used to. 

He sat on his knees, grabbing Sasuke’s shoulders. “Just okay?”

The Alpha allowed him to touch him, nodding. “What else do you want me to say?”

“Abnormal,” Naruto said, blurting the words out so fast that he cringed when it hit him. He let Sasuke go to sit back, curling his fists into palms on his lap. “That’s…”

“Stupid,” Sasuke said, surprising him once again that day. “People are stupid. You’re not abnormal. You’re you.” After a beat he added, “Your intelligence though…that might actually be low.”

“Fuck you, asshole!” Naruto said but the relief in his voice so clear that his eyes burned with the unshed tears. Sasuke searched his face before he smirked and then he snorted under his breath. He did the weirdest thing then. He reached to flick Naruto’s forehead. “Hey! That hurts!”

“Definitely an idiot,” Sasuke said, earning a squawk of disbelief from him. “Don’t listen to those idiots.”

Naruto quietened, unsure how to process the words. And because he was naturally an affectionate guy, he didn’t let Sasuke think twice before he jumped on him and hugged him. Sasuke flailed, a hand caught his shoulder and he tried to push him off. 

“Naruto!” Sasuke yelled in his ear, causing him to laugh. 

He squeezed him with all his might as he hooked his chin on his shoulder. “Thank you, Sasuke.”

Those words halted the Alpha from moving for a few blissful seconds. Naruto then unwrapped his limbs from him before he slid to the ground to sit next to him. Sasuke had a strange flush of red on his cheeks and the dark eyes tracked his every movement as he grinned at him. It was amusing how he had that look on his face, though he wasn’t sure _what_ it meant. At the end, he slapped the Alpha’s arm and stood up. 

“I have video games,” Naruto said. “Wanna play?”

Sasuke blinked a few times before he frowned, shaking his head. He glanced down at his hands. A little confused at that, he ignored Sasuke’s lack of words and went to grab his consoles. Tossing a remote controller a second later onto the Alpha’s lap, he turned on Mario Kart. 

“Let’s play!” Naruto said, nudging Sasuke’s shoulder.

The Alpha glanced at him before he sighed. “You’re an idiot.”

“Shut up, bastard and play with me.” Naruto chuckled when Sasuke merely tossed a glare at him but proceeded to play anyway.

***

He hummed happily as he skipped a few steps to head to the rooftop. Sasuke was most likely there and he wanted to see what his new friend was up to. He even made sure he got two boxes of juice this time, one for him and one for the Alpha. He pushed through the squeaky door, hollering loudly for the Alpha only to stop short when said boy was sitting against the wall next to the entrance as per usual. 

He grinned, closing the rooftop door before he bounded to where he was, taking a seat next to him. In those pale hands was a bento and it looked good. He wondered if his mother made that for him. 

“Here,” Naruto said as he gave him a box of orange juice. 

Sasuke took it, eyeing it with a narrowed gaze before he looked back at Naruto. “This is not poisoned, is it?”

“Fuck you, man,” Naruto said, slapping his arm and smiling in victory when the Alpha jerked from the force. “Drink up. That looks delicious.”

Sasuke hummed, placing the box of drink next to him as he continued to eat his meal. Naruto meanwhile grabbed his melon bun that he bought along with the two drinks and opened the plastic bag. The Alpha glanced at him before he eyed the food. 

“Do you always eat junk like that?” Sasuke muttered under his breath as he ate his rice. 

Offended, but not really _that_ offended, Naruto placed a hand on his chest and mock gasped. “I hurt! These melon buns are delicious! Plus, Sakura always finishes the bento Iruka makes so.”

Sasuke paused in his eating for a brief moment before he continued. Naruto hummed, quickly getting accustomed to Sasuke’s silence. It had been two weeks since he started hanging out with him. It was either coming to the rooftop during break or whenever he caught him at the entrance of the school so they could walk home together. Occasionally, he would try to invite Sasuke back to his room but the Alpha always pretended he never heard the request. 

Which was weird because he thought Sasuke enjoyed playing video games with him. 

He paused at a certain thought. 

“Hey, the reason you no longer want to come to my room is not because I’m abnormal, right?” Naruto said, catching Sasuke so off guard, the Alpha began to cough. Panicked, Naruto immediately grabbed one of the box of orange juice and poked the straw in it, shoving it into the Alpha’s hands. “Don’t die, man!”

“Stupid,” Sasuke said as he sucked all of the juice from the box, breathing slowly. He coughed a few more times but at least it didn’t look like he was about to hack his lungs out. The Alpha crushed the box and tossed it next to him. “No.”

It took a few seconds for Naruto to understand that the negative answer was to his question about Sasuke coming to his room and not about him dying. Relief washed over him as he relaxed against the wall. He went back to munching on his melon bun. It would be sad if Sasuke treated him different because of that. 

“Abnormal,” Sasuke said, catching his attention. “Is it common for you hear that word?”

Naruto shrugged. “Yeah, I mean.” He finished his melon bun. “I _am_ abnormal. Even one of your fangirls think so.”

Sasuke tensed at that, his shoulders squaring. He thinned his lips but he went back to eating his bento. It was only after a few more bites before he grabbed Naruto’s tan hands and made them face palm upwards. Alarmed and curious, he waited for Sasuke to make his next move. The Alpha placed his half-eaten bento box on them. 

“Eat,” Sasuke said as he stood up. He placed his chopsticks on the box.

“What—Sasuke!” Naruto blinked as the Alpha waved at him and left him alone at the rooftop. 

What the actual fuck?

He glanced at the bento box. What had happened? His mind raced through what he said. Cold sweat formed at his temples. Surely…Sasuke didn’t just have an epiphany that he was indeed abnormal, right? 

Didn’t the Alpha just say he didn’t care for that?

And now he went and behaved like he did. A bit offended and hurt, he huffed and looked back at the bento. He hadn’t even eaten most of the side dishes yet! Fine, if the bastard didn’t want it, he would finish it. In slight irritation, he finished the bento and stood up as well, wondering what crawled up that dude’s ass and died. 

It was only when classes were over and everyone was either preparing to go home or go to their club activities that Naruto saw the Alpha again. He had been busy packing his stuff, well, tossing his stuff into his bag when the girls in his classroom made squeaky screams and murmurs. Naruto frowned, wondering what was happening as he turned his gaze at the entrance of his classroom. 

Sasuke stood there, one of his shoulder leaned against the entryway. Objectively, the Alpha was a handsome guy. His dark locks were parted heavier to one side and he rocked that messy hair look that the Beta tried only for him to look like he had a nest on his head. Still, good-looking features did little less at the hurt still swimming inside of him. Naruto stood there, annoyed at the fact that the Alpha had graced them with his presence. He was still tad irritated for what he had done at the rooftop. He rolled his eyes and went back to packing his things, making sure he grabbed the bento box so he could shove it at Sasuke’s chest and demand what was that all about. 

Here he was thinking they had a friendship. 

The girls’ murmurs became louder when Sasuke moved to stand in front of his desk. “Naruto,” he said, causing the Beta to raise his head to look at him. “Let’s go home together.”

That silenced the whole classroom. His eyes widened before confusion whirled in his mind. Sasuke hadn’t done _this_ before. And if he was being honest, the heaviness of all his classmates’ eyes on him was…uncomfortable. He grabbed the bento and shoved it to Sasuke’s chest before he walked past him, hurrying out of the classroom. 

“Naruto!” Sakura’s familiar voice had him halting. He turned to look at the pink-haired girl running up to him. She was smiling. “There you are. Hey, I have Iruka’s bento box here.” She handed it to him. “I—”

“Naruto,” Sasuke said from behind him. 

The Beta stiffened for a few seconds, glancing over his shoulders at the Alpha. When he looked back into her green eyes, Sakura had grown as stiff as a bark of wood. 

Sakura frowned then, placing a hand on Naruto’s arm to catch his attention. “What is the Uchiha doing here?”

Naruto took in a deep breath, slight anxiety running through his veins at being caught by the two people he called his friends. He carefully took the bento box from Sakura and stuffed it in his bag, taking a step back when she tightened her grip on him. 

“Ah,” Naruto said, laughing a little. He pulled out of her grasp, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. “Nothing. Just came to say hi.”

“Since when are you two close enough to say hi?” Sakura questioned, taking a step closer to him before she eyed Sasuke with narrowed eyes. 

Before the Beta could say anything, Sasuke touched Naruto’s shoulder. “None of your business.” 

Naruto’s eyes widened at the words. “Hey, Sasuke—”

“I need to talk to you,” Sasuke said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him away from Sakura. 

“Oi!” Sakura yelled. “Don’t drag my best friend, you jerk!”

Naruto was halted when Sakura grabbed his other wrist. Now, stuck between two people, he huffed a breath, unsure of what to do. Sakura glared at the taller boy as if he had been the cause for whatever misery on him and his heart warmed at her protectiveness. But…

“I’ll see you soon, Sakura,” Naruto said, gently pulling his wrist out from her grasp. 

Her eyes widened, no doubt from the shock. And he knew she would kill him the next time he saw her but for some reason, he didn’t want to let Sasuke’s hand go. When the Alpha pulled him again, he moved with him. Tossing a wave at Sakura, he then eyed the taller boy. 

“Where are we going?” Naruto asked once Sasuke loosened his grip on his tan wrist. “Sasuke.”

The Alpha didn’t reply to him, simply adjusting his grip before the pale fingers grabbed his hand. Startled at the touch, Naruto dropped his gaze at their intertwined hands. His neck heated a little as his heart skipped a beat. Bringing his eyes to the side profile of the taller boy, the monotonous mask on his friend’s face had him feeling weird. His throat dried when they climbed the stairs to the rooftop. It was only when Sasuke had pulled him into the empty space that the Alpha took his touch away. And that loss of warmth in his hand had him almost wishing to have his fingers on him again. The thought pierced through his mind like a dagger, halting his breathing just a fraction. 

“You’re mad,” Sasuke said. “Why?”

Naruto blinked, the question taking a while to register in his head. He curled his fingers into fists as he narrowed his blue eyes at the taller boy. Right. _Yes_ , he was mad at Sasuke. Focusing back on that feeling rather than whatever that was just now, he took in a deep breath. Silence washed between them as the Beta took his time to craft the words in his head. Usually he would speak without filtering his words, but maybe it was because this was the first time he was hurt over such a move from a friend…he couldn’t find it in him to talk like how he usually did. 

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, taking a step towards him.

“Stop.” The Alpha froze in his steps at his words. Naruto glared at him. “You left me at the rooftop without a word after I said people call me abnormal all the time. Did you realise I am abnormal and decided to leave?”

Sasuke thinned his lips as his dark eyes narrowed back at him. The monotonous mask once more broke, revealing to the Beta the emotions flashing on his face. He glanced away, rubbing his neck. 

“You’re an idiot,” Sasuke said, causing him to snap his head up. “I just remembered I have a meeting with a teacher and left. It wasn’t because of what you said.”

Naruto paused at the words. His heart squeezed in his chest. “Oh.”

Sasuke huffed a breath before he crossed his arms against his chest. The Alpha didn’t make a move to speak and Naruto was left to stew at the realisation that he had jumped into conclusions fast. Face burning in mortification, he bit his bottom lip for a second before he hunched his shoulders close to his chest. He tried to smile at his friend but when the Alpha remained staring at him with the monotonous mask back on his face, he panicked slightly. 

“I’m sorry!” Naruto said, lessening the distance between them by a few steps. “I just thought…I’m sorry, Sasuke. Don’t be mad.” When Sasuke glared down at him, the Beta grabbed his right arm and hugged his hand against his chest. The Alpha’s composure shattered then, the dark eyes widening. “I’m sorry. Forgive me, okay? I misunderstood.”

“Let go of me, stupid,” Sasuke said, voice low as he tried to pull his hand away. Naruto shook his head, pouting as he held onto his hand tighter. “Naruto.”

“Forgive me first!” Naruto looked at him with wide eyes, knowing sure that his kicked puppy look would work. Well, it worked on Iruka. Most of the time. Sasuke’s shoulders squared before a faint flush of red painted on his pale skin. “Sasuke,” he whined, loudly. 

“Fine,” Sasuke said as he yanked his hand away and took a step back. “Just don’t touch me.”

Naruto grinned, relief washing over him at that. He raised his hands in a placating manner. “Great,” he said. “So, let’s go home?”

Sasuke was rubbing his palm, his dark eyes tracking his every movement before he hummed under his breath, rolling his dark eyes. It was only when he turned around to walk away that Naruto spotted his reddened ears. Naruto’s own face heated again, but this time with a sensation that he never felt before. After a beat of hesitation, he followed Sasuke. He remained quiet, ashamed at what he had done still. He apologised but it still left a bad taste in his mouth. 

Sakura’s face flashed in his mind and he groaned under his breath. “Sakura’s going to kill me.”

Sasuke paused on a step as they were climbing down the stairs. Naruto stopped at a step above him, hands shoved in his pant pockets. He blinked when the dark eyes met his blue ones. He tilted his head to the side a little, raising his eyebrows. 

“Are you close with her?” Sasuke murmured as he looked away and continued to walk down the stairs. 

Naruto paused before he followed him. “I am. She’s been my friend since we were in elementary school. Kiba too!” 

Sasuke didn’t say anything to that. Naruto nudged him when the Alpha didn’t make any move to question him any further. “Do you have any friends? I asked you once and you didn’t say anything.”

“I don’t.” Sasuke shrugged. “I don’t need them.”

Naruto frowned. Before Sasuke could say anything, he wrapped an arm around the Alpha’s right one, hugging it. The Alpha immediately stopped walking, squaring his shoulders. “I’m your friend now! So…”

“Let me go, stupid!” Sasuke said as he tried to shake his arm away from Naruto’s grasp. 

“Admit you have a friend now,” Naruto said, tightening his grip on Sasuke. “Or else I’m not letting it go.”

Sasuke’s left eyebrow twitched, his dark eyes narrowed and looking close to snapping at him. The Beta didn’t really find it intimidating. He grinned instead, pushing his chest against the arm. When they were locked in eye-contact and no one making a move to break away from each other, Sasuke finally sighed. 

“Fine, you’re a friend,” Sasuke said through gritted his teeth. 

Naruto whooped as he let him go, laughing as he bounced around. “Great, there you go!” He slapped Sasuke’s shoulder, jumping away when the Alpha glared at him like he wanted to set Naruto alight in fire. But even through the heated look, there was that familiar flush of redness on his cheeks and ears. It was…cute. Naruto chuckled as he jogged to the hallway. “Come on, let’s go.”

It was then his phone rang. He grabbed it from his pockets, his smile dying on his face when he saw it was a message from Sakura. She sent him a cryptic message that she would be waiting for him at his home. He tightened his grip on his phone. He glanced at the Alpha whose face still sported the light redness. There was a small distance between them. A sharp tug in his chest had him stopping in his tracks just a for a second. 

A second enough for the Alpha toss a look at him before he stopped as well. 

Naruto tracked Sasuke’s face before he gave him a brief smile, shoving his phone in his pockets. 

“Sakura’s waiting for me at home,” Naruto blurted out. 

Sasuke’s face became blank again before he shoved his hands in his own pants pockets. “I see.”

“If I don’t show up to school tomorrow,” he said, wrapping his arms around himself, mock shuddering. “Just assume I’ve died.”

Sasuke didn’t say anything, as per usual. Naruto didn’t expect him to laugh at his lame joke. He sighed as they quietly reached to the school entrance. Just as he was about to take a step ahead, a hand grasped his arm to make him stop walking before his touch left him. 

“Give me your phone,” Sasuke said, voice booking no room for arguments. 

Naruto blinked before he did just that, not really having anything to hide from his friend. Though, curiosity bubbled within him so he leaned close to see what Sasuke was doing to his device. The Alpha opened his contacts and keyed in his number. Naruto caught his phone back when it was tossed back at him. He stared at the name keyed on his phone, amused. 

“Call me,” Sasuke said. “Tonight.”

“Call you?” Naruto said, a little confused at the sudden demand. “Okay. Though, I prefer texting.” Sasuke rolled his eyes before he poked his forehead and pushed him away a bit. Naruto squawked, shoving his phone into his pant pocket. He grabbed Sasuke’s arm and said, “Give me your phone.”

“What for?” One corner of Sasuke’s lip quirked upwards when Naruto stared at him, narrowed eyed. The Alpha took out his phone from his bag and handed it over to the Beta a second later when Naruto merely squeezed his arm. “Hurry up, stupid.”

“Shut the hell up, bastard,” Naruto said, biting his bottom lip as he navigated through this expensive iPhone. And here he was with a simple flip phone that had seen better days. He keyed in his number before he gently gave it back to Sasuke. “Here, my number.”

Sasuke didn’t even check, shoving it back into his bag without another word. Assuming that their conversation was done, Naruto grinned. “Let’s go.”

***

Sakura waited for him in his room just as she said she will. He had tossed a quick hello at Iruka before he barged into his room. He quickly decided to backtrack when Sakura stood up from floor near his bed, her green eyes sharp. His fingers grasped his door knob but he was too late at yanking it open when Sakura caught him by his waist and tossed him on the bed. He yelped at her strength, heart almost bursting out of his chest in panic. 

She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, glaring down at him like a disappointed mother. 

He placed a hand on his chest as his bag dropped beside him while he sat up. “I forgot you have manly strength.”

He could almost _see_ a vein about to burst in her head. “I’m about to manly fucking punch you if you don’t start talking, Naruto!”

The Beta cracked a grin before he sighed and sat against the wall, crossing his legs. “What do you want me to say?”

Sakura moved to sit in front of him, crossing her arms against her chest as she kept her glare. “I thought I told you to be careful and stay away from the Uchiha. Do you have any idea of the rumours floating about you two?”

Naruto glanced away as he rubbed the back of his neck. He knew that the rumours had become uncontrollable. He didn’t understand why it was any of their business if he wanted to hang around Sasuke, but it was. And it was a problem. At least to them. He had heard different variants of their rumours but the most prominent one was how he was trying to be someone he wasn’t just to entice Sasuke. 

He didn’t know what that meant. He saw the Alpha as a friend and he liked hanging around him. 

And as long as Sasuke didn’t push him away, he would stay by his side. 

Yet…it didn’t negate the way people spoke about him as he walked down the corridor and sometimes girls bumped against his shoulder as he walked past them. He curled his fingers into fists as he placed them on his lap. 

“I know,” Naruto said. “But he’s a good guy, Sakura. He’s a nice friend. I like talking to him.”

“He’s an _Alpha_ ,” she said, emphasising the word. “We aren’t. We’re Betas. In your case, a Beta with an Omega recessive gene. We don’t belong in their lane.”

Naruto frowned. “Why can’t we be friends? It’s not like we’re doing anything else.”

“You don’t get it,” Sakura said. “Alphas and Omegas see us as scraps. As someone they use and then throw away. There’s a reason why we don’t get paired often with Alphas and Omegas, Naruto. It’s because we are not worth their time. And frankly, they can keep it that way. Their egos hurt my brain.”

“Not all Alphas and Omegas are like that,” Naruto said. “Ino’s an Omega and she doesn’t treat us like that. You can’t just generalise a population of people like that.”

Sakura thinned her lips. “I know. I’m just saying that this _is_ what happens. There’s a reason why people build homes and lives with people at the same level as them, Naruto. Break that chain and we mess up a system.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “And then people get hurt.”

Frustration built within him. It wasn’t like he was planning to be anything more with Sasuke. They were just friends. _Friends_. Why must they be so contained in boxes and deem that normal? Sakura searched his face before she sighed. 

“We’re just friends,” Naruto said, weakly. 

“Alphas are out of our leagues,” Sakura said, quietly. “Especially an Uchiha. He’s the heir of the Uchiha Corporation. His older brother is a well-known businessman owning his own business. Their whole family are Alphas. They are in an elite class, far from what we know.” She took in a deep breath. “It’ll start as being friends. But one day, sooner or later, he would have to leave and be friends with people in his own world.” 

Naruto thinned his lips. “Sasuke wouldn’t—”

“And how would you know? You just met him this year,” she said. “Do you want to stick around and find out if he’s that kind of Alpha?”

Naruto took her hand off his shoulder, staring at her into her eyes. “I won’t get hurt, Sakura. We’re friends. It’s not like…we’re planning on anything else.” He couldn’t even fathom what they could be if not friends. “He…He knows about my recessive genes, Sakura. And he didn’t even make fun of me. He…stayed.”

Sakura’s eyes widened. “He what?”

“I told him,” he said. “And he accepted me.”

“Naruto…” She frowned. “How could you be this stupid? Telling an Alpha that?”

“Sakura!” He grabbed her shoulders. “You’re not listening to me!”

“All I’m hearing is how you now found an Alpha who’s treating you like you’re special and you’ve fallen under his spell!” He words cut deep and he let her go as if she had burned him. “You’re not special, Naruto. You’re one of _us_. If you don’t learn your place, you’re going to get _hurt_.” Her own eyes filled with tears. “If I see you broken one day because you befriended someone like that Uchiha, it’s going to hurt me.”

Naruto opened his mouth, trying to retort but she only shook her head, silencing him. 

“You may think you can stay as friends with the Uchiha, but my point still stands that you _don’t know him_ ,” she said. “I…I’m sorry for being harsh. I just need you to understand that we don’t live in a beautiful world. We’re Betas. As much as it hurts to know, we live in an ordinary world. A world where people like the Uchiha is unattainable.” She got out of his bed before she gave him a weak smile. “I love you, Naruto. I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t want you to cry because of some shitty Alpha. You deserve a lot more. Keep your guard up.”

He couldn’t find a single word to say when she walked out of his room. He released a shaky breath as he stared at the empty space where she had been. It wasn’t like he didn’t know the reality he was facing. He knew that someone like Sasuke wouldn’t look twice at him. 

He knew that. 

And yet, he was the first Alpha who could smell him. Who didn’t shy away when he said he wasn’t just a Beta. For the first time in his life, besides his group of Beta friends, he had someone else with a different designation validating him. He curled his legs against his chest as he wrapped his arms around his knees. 

His heart ached. Sakura was right. One day, sooner or later would end with him being alone and Sasuke would find better friends. As he took in a shaky deep breath, he closed his eyes briefly, pressing his forehead on his knees. 

Couldn’t he just stay friends with Sasuke until that inevitable day came? 

Why must they be dictated by their society?

***

He was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was past nine at night and he made no move to do anything else. Iruka had come into his room trying to catch him out of his mood, but when it was clear he wasn’t coming out of it anytime soon, his Beta guardian simply patted his head and left him alone with dinner at his bedside table. One that he didn't touch. 

His mind was blissfully blank for a while now and he wished he could stay in this bubble knowing nothing and feeling nothing. He sighed when his phone rang then, as if the universe decided to break that very illusion. Taking his phone out of his pockets, he stared at the caller ID. 

Sasuke. 

His eyes widened and he sat up, his heart lurching in his throat. He stared at the name for a few seconds before a bitter feeling crawled and settled at the pit of his lungs. Sakura’s words flashed in his mind. A scene of Sasuke walking away from him had him placing the phone on his bed, letting it ring. A few rings later, silence washed into the scene. 

For a second, he thought that would be it. But when his phone rang again, he paused. 

He had half a mind to ignore this call too but…he didn’t think it was fair to do that to his friend. Even if he was in the midst of contemplating this thing he called his life. He answered the call, laying back down on his bed as he placed the device near his ears. 

“Hey,” Naruto said, voice lacklustre of giddiness that he usually had. 

Sasuke remained quiet for a few seconds before he said, “You’re alive.”

And it was so surreal at how those few words were enough to had him chuckling, even if his heart was aching in his chest. “Of course I am.”

Another few seconds of silence passed by them before the Alpha said, “I’ll see you in school tomorrow then.”

Naruto sat up, his heart tightening at the thought of ending the call now. Instead, he blurted out, “Wait!” Immediately as he said that, he panicked. Fuck. He said that without thinking. Quickly he found something to say. “What’re you doing now?”

Good enough. 

Sasuke snorted under his breath and Naruto grinned, the grey clouds slowly leaving him be. “Studying,” Sasuke said. “I doubt you know what that is.”

“Hey!” Naruto said, leaning against his wall. “Just so you know, what I lack in brains, I make up in brawn.” Sasuke hummed. He didn’t say anything else but Naruto couldn’t help but relax in the quiet. “What were you doing before this?”

“Waiting to call you to make sure you didn’t die,” Sasuke said, bluntly. 

Naruto’s breath hitched in his throat at the words. “Well, I didn’t die.”

“Surprise,” Sasuke said, his voice dry. 

It was odd how that even without looking at each other, Naruto could tell how he looked like. That monotonous look on his face as he stared at his books or something. Even in the image, Sasuke looked…pretty. The Beta sighed under his breath. Pretty and living in a whole new world than his. 

“Do you mind it I’m a Beta?” Naruto questioned, quietly. “You don’t have to answer if it’s a weird question.”

Sasuke remained quiet. And Naruto thought that that he did think it was a weird question. Which friend would ask his friend that anyway? He thinned his lips, gripping tight on his phone as he contemplated on a way to save himself when the Alpha spoke, quietening his mind. 

“I don’t,” Sasuke said. 

Naruto nodded, taking in the answer though this time, they didn’t really remove his slight anxiety over the matter. Not when Sakura’s words ran through his mind again. “Really?”

“Yes.” Sasuke sighed. Naruto flinched at that. “I’m going to study.”

Naruto really didn’t want to let him go. He didn’t. He wasn’t usually this clingy to people, preferring to keep some semblance of a wall between them. And yet with Sasuke, he wanted to let himself be more. “What are you studying?”

“Are you going to keep me company?” Sasuke said, his voice sounded echoey. Naruto could tell he had turned on loud speaker as there were now sounds of pages moving and scratches of pencils. Naruto’s face heated a tad before his heart skipped a beat at that. “I’m going to close the line if you don’t answer.”

“Can I?” Naruto said, grinning. 

“If you keep quiet and study too,” Sasuke said. 

The Beta moved then to his desk, grabbing his Maths book before going back to his bed. He tossed the stuff there before grabbing his pencil case, placing his phone on the mattress and switching the call into loud speaker. 

“I’ll be quiet,” Naruto said as he opened his book. And with a little more courage, he added, “I just want you to stay…a little bit more.”

There was a long silence on the other side before Sasuke hummed. He didn’t say anything else but he didn’t have to. Even just like this, even when anxiety continued to thrum underneath his skin, this was enough. While Sakura’s words kept him rooted in reality, a part of him wanted to take the gamble being friends with Sasuke. 

Even if it meant it would hurt him. 

Because he was sure he wouldn’t ever find an Alpha like him. 

Even if the whole world misunderstood him and wouldn’t believe him.

***

Sakura had been a bit distant with him since that day. He didn’t know how to make it up to her because he wasn’t going to let Sasuke go just like that. But by the third day, he was done with the silence between them. He didn’t want to lose her. He knew she came from a place of worry. 

He just needed her to understand that this was his decision. It was only when he manned himself up and told her his decision that her eyes filled with tears in themiddle of the classroom and hugged him. 

“I’ll be fine, Sakura,” he whispered as she held him tight, burying her face against his shoulder. 

She pulled away a second later, wiping her eyes. “I don’t want you getting hurt. I _don’t_ want you to cry, Naruto.” She took in a shuddering deep breath, pausing when Naruto touched her face. “You have had enough hurt. I want you to be loved. You deserve to be with friends and people who would love you for you.”

“I know.” He smiled, even if he didn’t believe most of what she said. “Sasuke treats me nice. He’s a good friend. I know he acts cold, but he isn’t how he carries himself to be.”

She searched his face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so harsh to you that day. You _are_ special,” she said. “But because you are special, you need to be loved for you.”

“I am,” Naruto said, his own eyes warmed. “I have you, Kiba, Iruka, Kakashi, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji—” He stopped when she gave him a look. He chuckled. “And I think we can add Sasuke here in.”

She sighed, letting him wipe the remainder of her tears from her face. “Promise me,” she said. “That if he _ever_ hurts you, you will do what’s right for yourself first.”

“You’re speaking like I’m together with Sasuke or something,” he tried to joke but she didn’t look like she was taking his joke well. 

“The future is uncertain and you’re a very kind person, Naruto,” she said, placing a hand on his chest. “You have no idea how lovable you are. It could happen.”

He choked at her words.

“So, promise me,” she said. “You will put yourself first.”

And Naruto didn’t want to fight anymore so he nodded, promising her. She hugged him again, relief washing over him that their fight was over and done with. Her words rang in his mind, nevertheless. They resemble a reality he would be facing. 

“I still dislike the Uchiha,” she murmured against him. 

He supposed he couldn’t really change her mind. At least he hadn’t lost his friends. 

Walking down the hallway to head to the rooftop, he stopped in his tracks when a girl called for him. He turned to look at her, smiling as she stood in front of him. He never met her before and he was pretty sure he never spoke to her before either. 

Curiously, he said, “Yeah?”

“Miyuki-chan wants to meet you at the cherry blossom tree,” she said, smiling. Though there was something off with the way she was shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “Can you go see her now?”

“Miyuki-chan?” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “Who’s that?”

“Ah, she’s a girl from the class next to you,” she said, grabbing his arm to gently pull him. “Come on!”

Naruto glanced at the staircase heading to the rooftop. He bit his bottom lip as he followed the petite girl, deciding to be quick before he met with Sasuke. The cherry blossom tree was located at a desolate part of the school backyard, he realised. He didn’t think they had one but here it was. He whistled at the large tree, noting he could come here to take a nap. 

When he neared the small group of four girls, he paused. There was something in him telling him that he should just walk away but he was already here. There was no way he could without looking like he was rude. He cleared his throat instead, standing before them. 

“Yeah?” Naruto said. 

The girl with a high ponytail and grey eyes met his gaze. She crossed her arms against her chest before taking a step towards him. She tilted her head up a little. Naruto wondered what she was going to say, his skin crawling when the girls behind her stared at him. And it wasn’t a pleasant feeling at all. 

It was as if he was being examined under a microscope. 

“Is it true that you’re close with Uchiha-kun?” the girl said, eyebrows raised. 

Naruto’s heart almost stopped beating at that. Fuck. He knew immediately what he had walked into. He took a small step back, trying to see if he could leave. When he didn’t answer, the girl reached to grab his arm, her manicured nails digging into his arm. He winced briefly. He wanted to touch her wrist but he didn’t want her to scream bloody murder and get him in trouble. 

“Well?” she said, smiling at him in a way that sent a shiver down his spine. 

“I’m his friend,” Naruto said, not finding any reason to really lie. It was clear that she didn’t like his answer because she dug her fingers into his skin then, causing him to yank his arm away. He hissed in brief pain. “That hurts.”

“Aren’t you an abnormal one?” the girl said. “Why are you hanging around our Uchiha-kun?”

He barely registered at her words. “What is it to you who I befriend? I’m going to go.”

He was about to do just that when there were a few more girls blocking his path. He was now surrounded by a small group of girls and he wasn’t sure what to do now. He took a step back. A short surprised noise escaped his lips when the girl from before grabbed his shoulder and turned around. 

“We need you to stop hanging around him,” she said.

Naruto gritted his teeth, irritation flaring in him as he yanked his body away from her grasp again. “You can’t order me around.”

Her eyes flashed in gold before she pushed him harshly. Omega. Not anticipating that move, he stumbled back and landed on his ass. The ground was uneven with small rocks, cutting his palms. Hissing in pain, he was about to stand up when the girl stood before him. 

“Learn your place, _Beta_ ,” she hissed, forcing the words right into his brain. “Uchiha-kun deserves to be friends with only people of high class. Not a Beta. Not even sure if you’re a Beta but whatever freak of nature you are, don’t go infecting Uchiha-kun with it.”

“I’m not a freak of nature,” Naruto said, hurt curling in his chest. “You can’t scare me to stay away from people I want to be friends with.”

“You will!” she yelled, grabbing a bottle of water from one of the girls before she uncapped the water and poured it over him. The cold water was a shock to his system, his eyes widening at what had happened. When she tossed the bottle at his face, she said, “No one cares about you here in our world so why don’t you just stay down there? He deserves better than a mess that is you.”

His words got caught in his throat as he glared at her. He curled his fingers into the ground, the pain shooting down his spine. “Don’t go riding your high horse just because you’re an Omega.”

She smirked before she crouched down to look at him. “Do you know why people like us get the best in everything and you Betas get stuck with low jobs and working to death to even get one ounce of prestige we have? Because Betas are _useless._ Do you get what I’m saying, Uzumaki-kun? You are useless.” She stood up, glaring at him. “Stay away from Uchiha-kun.”

He didn’t want to let her cruel words to get to him. But they did. They seared inside his brain and made a home like they belonged there. What Sakura had said came back ten times stronger, carrying a wave of shame and disappointment. His eyes burned from the embarrassment when he had nothing to say. Because she was right. They were, in reality, beneath their shoes.

And yet, he couldn’t find it in him to give Sasuke up. 

He opened his mouth to argue, but only a pitiful noise escaped his lips that caused the Omega to laugh. 

“Stay down where you belong,” she said. 

“And who the fuck are you to say that to him?” a familiar voice broke the tense atmosphere between them. Naruto grew rigid at that, his gaze lifting to meet those familiar dark eyes. “What did you do?” The second question was clearly aimed at the girl.

The Omega tilted her head to one side, smiling. “Uchiha-kun, I’m just helping you to get rid of a pest. You don’t want to be associated with that, right?”

Naruto swallowed past the lump in his throat. He didn’t know what to say to them. He only had his pride in protecting the friendship between them but reality was as it stood. He didn’t know how Sasuke truly felt about them. 

And he was afraid. 

“Apologise,” Sasuke said, his voice firm and dark. 

Naruto snapped his head up to look at his face. The Alpha had a monotonous look on his face but there was a frown on his face that broke the illusion of his calmness. The girl took a step back, her eyes widening before she laughed in what seemed like disbelief. 

“What?” she said. 

“ _Apologise_ ,” Sasuke said, and that was when Naruto saw, for the first time in his life, the eyes of an Alpha. The dark eyes were a little red, but they changed his aura completely. “You had no right to do that. To him. Apologise.”

“No,” the Omega said, frowning. “Uchiha-kun, come on. You can’t possibly want me to apologise to a Beta! Especially an abnormal freak—”

Naruto gasped when Sasuke grabbed her arm and yanked her close to him. She whimpered, her eyes widening as the group of girls cowered. “Apologise. Now. For everything you spouted and what you did.”

“N-No,” she said, her eyes filled with tears. “Uchiha-kun! You’re hurting me!”

“Apologise.” Sasuke’s shoulders were rigid and he looked close to really hurt someone. Naruto forced himself to stand up. “Now.”

“L-Let me go—” When Sasuke tightened his grip on her arm, she let out a cry of pain. The Beta’s heart lurched in his throat when the girl said, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry. Please, let me go.”

Sasuke pushed her towards Naruto so harshly that she went down on her knees. The Beta took a step back, alarmed as his body trembled slightly from what was happening. She grasped her arm as she looked up at him. 

“Apologise to him,” Sasuke said, shoving his hands in his own pant pockets. “Not to me.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, tears running down her face. “I’m sorry.” She stood up then, looking close to sobbing. 

“If I ever hear and see _anyone_ harassing Naruto again,” Sasuke said as she tried to scurry away. “I will make sure you don’t get to set a foot back here again.”

The words were so dark that it sent a shiver running down the Beta’s spine. The girls dispersed as quickly as they could, leaving the two of them alone. Naruto released a shaky breath, the cold breeze hitting his body had him trembling. Sasuke sighed before his dark eyes finally met his blue ones. Naruto remained standing there, keeping the distance between them. His own eyes were filled with tears, hurt curling in his chest and at his palms. 

Sasuke didn’t say anything as he lessened the distance between them. The redness in his eyes were still present and…it was tad scary. Naruto startled when pale hands grabbed his palms. 

“Let’s go to the infirmary,” Sasuke said, glaring down at the tan hands. 

Naruto didn’t say anything. He didn’t even bother fighting back when Sasuke gently pulled him away from the backyard.

***

A new shirt was tossed at his face with the curtains drawn back as Sasuke left him alone for him to change. When he was done, he sighed as the Alpha came back with the first aid kit, the nurse nowhere to be found. He took a seat at a chair, settling between Naruto’s legs before grasping one palm to inspect it. Sitting at the edge of the bed, the Beta let his wounds be treated. 

He took in Sasuke. His dark hair and his dark eyes with pale skin, and the bleeding red tint in those orbs—they created this boy whom everyone was clambering to be friends with and more. Sakura’s words about Betas were coming true in a form of a nightmare and he didn’t know if he was ready for it. He didn’t think being friends with Sasuke would hurt. 

But that was what he had been warned against and he was the idiot who didn’t heed it. 

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Sasuke asked, cutting through his thoughts like knife. 

“No,” Naruto said. Though his arm where the nails were dug into was in pain, they weren’t that bad. He curled his fingers into fists when Sasuke was done, packing the first aid kit. “Sorry.”

Sasuke paused in packing up the kit before he finished it and placed it aside. He then turned to look at Naruto, leaning back to raise his eyebrows. The Beta glanced down, placing his fists on his lap as his heart clenched tight in his chest. 

“I’m sorry,” Naruto said. 

Sasuke replied with, “Why are you apologising?”

The Beta shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just sorry.”

There was a few seconds of silence before the Alpha said, “Stupid.”

Naruto winced at the words, his eyes filling up with tears again as his chest constricted tight in his chest. “Maybe I am,” he said, voice quiet. “Is it fine to be your friend?”

“That question again,” Sasuke murmured, a sigh escaping his lips. He leaned forward before he placed both of his palms on either side of Naruto’s body, trapping him there. The Beta eyed him from under his bangs before he glanced away. “Do you believe them?”

Naruto contemplated on the words. “I don’t know,” he said, at last. “Sakura said the same thing.”

The Alpha pulled away to sit back in his seat. He crossed one leg over the other, running a hand through his dark hair. Naruto didn't know what else to say. All that had remained from the encounter was this sick sensation at the pit of his stomach and the impending doom that he couldn’t go any further henceforth with Sasuke. They couldn’t continue being friends. 

And that realisation sucked. 

“I can’t stand Omegas,” Sasuke said. “I can’t stand their heats.”

Naruto blinked when the words registered in his head. His breath hitched in his throat as he raised his head, meeting the dark eyes that were boring into his blue ones without hesitation. There was a moment where Sasuke sounded prejudiced but at closer examination, the tone he used had been anything but. 

It was a fact. 

And that was all there it was to it. 

“What…do you mean?” Naruto questioned, his words getting stuck in his throat and he had to push through the lump taking root there. 

Sasuke tapped at his own nose with a finger. “I have a sensitive nose. Omegas’ scent and their heats make me physically ill. I can’t stand strong scents in general, and Omegas belong in that category.” 

That was unheard of. Alphas were naturally attracted to the sweet scents on Omegas. It was one of the reasons why scents played a huge part in their lives. They were supposed to compliment each other. And yet, here an Alpha was freely admitting that he couldn’t stand them. 

“Maybe you’ll find an Omega who you won’t get physically ill at,” Naruto said, his voice coming out slow as his brain raced from one thought to the next, analysing the situation. “Alphas are made for Omegas.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, as if he had heard that a million times before. He uncrossed his legs before he pulled himself closer to the Beta. Once again, he placed his arms at either side of the other boy’s body, keeping him close to the Alpha. Naruto’s heart skipped a beat though he didn’t allow himself to examine that too much. 

He just never had the chance to be in this close proximity with Sasuke before. 

That was all. 

“I don’t like Omegas anyway,” Sasuke said, shrugging. “I had enough of Omegas chasing after me all my life.” 

“That isn’t how it works,” Naruto said. 

“It does in my world.” Sasuke’s words were sharp. They pierced through his head and cut through societal norms that had been planted in his mind. “And I don’t need anyone validating me for it.”

Naruto searched his face, unable to comprehend what he had heard. At the end, he could only nod. What else was there to say? He was at a loss of words at this revelation. The confusion must’ve shown on his face before the Alpha sighed. 

“You don’t get it,” Sasuke whispered, almost as if he was saying it to himself. When those dark eyes narrowed, Naruto resisted the urge to squirm under his hard gaze. “Naruto, I don’t care what others say about me. Do you get me?”

He didn’t. Naruto didn’t know what Sasuke was getting at. But whatever it was, it was clear that it probably was important. He nodded, trying to fake understanding as he carefully used his right hand to wipe at his eyes. Wincing at the pain throbbing at his palms, he was about to reply when a pale hand grabbed his fingers, halting him in his movement. 

“You don’t need to believe anyone else,” Sasuke said, voice firm as his grip on Naruto’s hand tightened. “Just believe in me.” 

Naruto’s eyes widened. “Believe in you in…what?”

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. There was a short silence before the Alpha sighed, dropping his head for a bit. “Be my friend. No matter what people say.”

A light bulb went off in his head as his heart almost stopped beating at the soft words uttered from a boy who wore nothing but an ice armour. He squirmed a little then, pulling his hand away from Sasuke’s grip to curl into a fist and place them on his lap. He waited for Sasuke to lift his head before he gave him a smile. 

“So, you don’t mind being friends with an abnormal? Even if people—”

“I don’t care if people get hurt,” Sasuke said. “I don’t usually do what I just did.” 

“What…”

The Alpha stared at him in the eyes. “They’re the one in the wrong. You’re not.” Sasuke glanced away, his fingers curled to form fists. “They shouldn’t have done that. I told them specifically to leave you alone.”

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. “What? W-When?”

Sasuke tilted his head up, some of his bang landing heavily to the right side of his face. “The day at the rooftop. When I left you alone.”

He searched the boy’s face before he frowned. “You told me you went to see a teacher.”

“I lied.” 

“Oi…” Naruto made a weird noise at the back of his throat when Sasuke met his gaze. 

“The point is,” Sasuke said, stressing his words out. “They’re the idiots here for believing the stupid shit everyone feeds them.” He grabbed Naruto’s hand, caressing it. “You’re not useless. You’re not a freak of nature.” The grip tightened briefly at that. Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. “You’re nothing they deem you to be. Believe _me_.”

The words settled deep in his brain, erasing the traces of hurt that those girls had crafted in his head. His eyes filled with tears again, a few slid down his face. Fuck. He felt pathetic but when Sasuke only held his hand tighter, Naruto choked back a sob. 

“But they’re not wrong,” the Beta whispered under his breath. 

“They’re _wrong_ ,” Sasuke said, not giving any room for argument. “Even Sakura.”

Naruto took in a deep shuddering breath. 

“Believe me,” Sasuke said. “And stay.”

The Alpha stood up then. Naruto raised his head to look at the boy he befriended. A boy who was as complicated as an ancient puzzle. One that the Beta wasn’t that smart to put together. His shoulders tensed when Sasuke placed a hand on his head. For a brief moment, his heart skipped a beat and raced, face heating up. A warm feeling in his chest spread from the spot in the middle to the ends of his fingers and toes. 

“Okay,” Naruto whispered, wiping his eyes, as Sasuke patted his head a few times before the Alpha took the first aid kit. “I’ll believe in you.” And it was weird how even if he didn’t really understand the significance of their conversation, Sasuke had managed to reduce these fears and hurt in his chest into a minuscule amount. Just as the Alpha was about to leave him alone for a bit, Naruto spoke up, “Sasuke…I’ll be your friend. No matter what people says.”

Sasuke showed his back and froze, his shoulders squaring before the Alpha tossed a smirk at him from over his shoulders. “I’ll hold you onto that.” And when Sasuke grabbed one edge of the curtain, pulling it away so he could leave, he added, “And stop apologising for something you can’t control.”

It wasn't a ‘It’s not your fault’, but it was hidden in his words. Naruto was sure of it. He couldn’t contain the wide smile then on his face, his cheeks hurting. And just like that, whatever the girls had said left his mind. His insecurities died down into a low hum. 

Sasuke wanted him to believe in him. 

And while it terrified Naruto to take that chance, he wanted to. At least this time. Sakura and the rest of the school were wrong. Sasuke wouldn’t betray him like they thought he would. Because he was being looked at as a person first, secondary gender designation second. 

Yeah, he would stay being Sasuke’s friend.

**ii.**

**First Year of High School**

Naruto huffed a breath as he looked at himself in the mirror. First day of high school. And boy, was he not ready for it. He barely made it into this high school after his marks began to decline towards the end of his school year. He was lucky that he didn’t get held back a year. Iruka really had busted his ass making him study once he found out. 

As he adjusted his tie, he took in another breath in. Brushing his hair through his messy blond hair, he shrugged when he couldn’t tame the unruly locks. Grabbing his bag, he got out of his room to meet with Iruka and Kakashi eating their breakfast. Naruto didn’t want to be late though so he took a toast from Iruka’s plate. 

“Naruto!” Iruka said as he grinned and waved at him. 

“Gotta go! Sasuke’s waiting for me,” Naruto said as he head to the entrance, shoving his feet into the shoes. Iruka sighed as he stood up, grabbing his bento box from the table before heading to where the Beta was. Naruto took it from his adoptive father’s hand, shoving it into his bag. “See ya!”

“Bring Sasuke over sometime,” Iruka said, crossing his arms against his chest as he jutted his chin to the front door. “The first time I met him was three weeks ago when he came over to give you the ramen you forced him to buy.”

“Hey, he said he could,” Naruto said, shrugging. “And I will!” 

It was almost a year since they became friends and it was the best thing that had ever happened to his life. When they graduated and ready to enter high school, he thought that Sasuke would be off his way to a better school. Colour him surprised when the Alpha came over three weeks ago to let him know that he was going to the same high school as him. Not that Naruto complained. 

All of his best friends were now in the same school as he was. 

And with that in mind, Sasuke and Naruto made a deal to go to school together every morning. 

Taking a bite of his bread, he waved at Iruka as he got out of his home. There, waiting in front of the door while he was busy texting on his phone was the only Alpha in his life that had managed to find out about his real secondary gender. The only Alpha that had Naruto ignore the reality that was his secondary gender and made him feel like he was human first. He paused when he stopped in front of his best friend. 

Donned in the same high school uniform as he did, it really made Sasuke look far more grown up. It was a completely different aura that he harboured. A slight slither of worry curled in his chest. He remembered the harassment he had gone through just being friends with Sasuke. Despite since that incident at the cherry blossom tree, no one dared to even lay a finger on him—the rumours were still vicious enough that every time he heard one, it had him stumped and at a loss of words. 

Would it be like that in high school as well?

Sasuke raised his gaze from his phone to finally meet his blue eyes. 

No…it wouldn’t be. 

Because Sasuke was here. And with him here, everything often turned out fine. 

The Alpha tossed his phone in his bag without a word, shoving his hands in his pant pockets. Naruto also noted the new hairstyle on his friend. While he usually harboured this rolled out of bed look that naturally made him look younger, this time, his best friend went and neatly combed and parted his hair heavier to one side. His bangs were mostly to the right side of his face, enhancing his good looks. 

Naruto was jealous at how he just naturally looked so good. 

“You done staring, idiot?” Sasuke said. 

And there it was, his foul mouth. At least that hadn’t changed. Naruto flicked a middle finger at his best friend, closing the door shut behind him. Munching on his bread, he slapped Sasuke’s arm as he walked away from him. The Alpha followed him a second later. 

“Iruka said to come over sometime,” Naruto said, swallowing his mouthful of bread. “You never come over.”

Sasuke hummed under his breath. It was a quick pattern that unless the Alpha needed to really speak, he preferred to keep his mouth shut. It did irk Naruto once in a while, especially when they fought but after a while, it was pattern that he got used to. Deciding to let that go, he continued to eat. Just as he took a few steps ahead, he stopped short when he saw the familiar figures of his other two best friends. 

“Sakura! Kiba!” he said. 

The two people stopped talking to each other, turning to look at him before they waved. Sakura’s green eyes shimmered in happiness, while Kiba had a mischievous grin on his face. Naruto blinked at her change of hairstyle. It used to be really long and now…it was short. 

“Hey,” Naruto said once he was close to them. “You cut your hair! It looks good, Sakura.”

Her face tinted in red, a grin on her face before she punched his arm. Naruto winced, laughing when Kiba nodded, agreeing with him. “Thanks, Naruto. Let’s go. We’re going to be late.”

“You guys came here to pick me up?” Naruto asked as he finished his bread, clapping his hands together. Sasuke clicked his tongue under his breath at that, causing him to glance at him with eyebrows raised. The Alpha merely took out a handkerchief from his pant pockets. Handing it over to Naruto, the Beta took it gladly with a sheepish smile, wiping his hands with it. “Want it back?”

Sasuke shook his head. 

“Because,” Kiba said, voice drawling as he had his hands behind his back, eyeing Naruto before he dragged his gaze to Sasuke. 

“We just want to go to school together,” Sakura said, the happiness on her face dimmed to bring forth a frown. She tossed a glare at Sasuke. “And make sure you’re fine.”

Even if it had been months since he and Sasuke had been friends, and with Naruto’s attempt to get his two closest friends to get along with the Alpha, it was futile. At the end of the day, Sasuke clearly disliked them and they returned the feeling. It was tad saddening but at least he wasn’t being pulled aside and away from Sasuke. He pushed those thoughts away. 

“I’m fine," Naruto said, huffing a breath. “Right, Sasuke?”

“Hn,” Sasuke said, not bothering to give any more replies to the group. 

“I can’t believe you’re in this school with us though, Uchiha,” Kiba said, shoulders jumping when his phone rang. Immediately, he answered his phone with a loud, “Ah! Hinata-chan!”

Naruto snorted under his breath at his friend’s change in demeanour. He was surprised that they were still dating. But he was glad that they seem to be happy.

“Yeah,” Sakura said, her voice low. “Thought we’d be able to get rid of you in high school.”

“Sakura,” Naruto whined. “Don’t be mean.”

“I’m not,” she said, tossing another glare at the Alpha. “I heard you managed to get into an elite high school, Uchiha. Why the hell did you choose this one instead?”

Naruto paused at that. Sasuke got into an elite high school? He turned his attention at the taller boy, noting that Sasuke had his jaw clenched. The frown on his face had the Beta thinking back to the brief discussion they had three weeks ago. He swore that the Alpha hadn’t mentioned anything about rejecting a good school. While the high school they were in wasn’t bad, it wasn’t the best either. 

He grabbed Sasuke’s arm, forcing him to stop walking. When Kiba and Sakura paused as well, he waved at them. The two Beta friends hesitated before they nodded and left the duo alone. Naruto turned back his attention at the Alpha, who was staring down at him with a monotonous mask that he came to learn meant he was hiding something. Or when he didn’t want to talk about something.

The latter usually led to them arguing. 

Funny how Sasuke was the first friend he had that he simultaneously could connect and head butts with. 

“Is that true?” Naruto asked. 

Sasuke tilted his head to one side before he sighed, glancing away. “Is that important?”

Naruto loosened the grip on his arm. “Well…no…but—”

Sasuke placed a hand on his hair, squinting his eyes. “Your hair’s a mess. As usual.”

“Oi!” Naruto frowned, slapping the Alpha’s touch from his head as he ran his fingers through his blond locks. He was sure that the change of subject was to get him off his back about the high school situation. “My hair’s just fine. And don’t change the subject.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, taking a step back. “It’s in the past. Let’s go, stupid. We’ll be late.”

“Bastard!” Naruto huffed as he caught up to the walking Alpha. He nudged him with his elbow. “Really, though. If it’s true, why didn’t you just go there?”

Sasuke didn’t say anything for a few seconds, shoving his hands into his pant pockets. He hummed. “I wonder too.”

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, confused at the answer. When it was clear that no matter how hard he nudged Sasuke, he wouldn’t be getting anymore out of him, he pouted. Crossing his arms agains his chest, he allowed it to bother him for a while before he shrugged it off. Sasuke was right. It was in the past. Regardless, at the end, he had him by his side and it would be easier to hang out after school too. So, really, win-win.

It was a pity that Sasuke was in a different class than him but at least they could meet up during break. He placed his shoes in his locker while taking out the school-issued pair when Sasuke came to him, all ready for class. Naruto grinned. Just as they were about to walk into the hallway, a girl came barrelling towards them while her friends screamed. 

Sasuke recoiled as he grabbed onto her arms. She was shaking and her face was red, tears running down her face. Her knees buckled, dragging Sasuke down with him. Naruto’s eyes widened at the scene before him. At first, he had no idea what was happening. And then Sasuke pushed her away, harshly. She curled into the floor as she whimpered. The Alpha placed a hand over his face, his eyes turning red. And then a flush on his face that didn't look right. 

“She’s in heat. Get her _away from me_ ,” Sasuke gritted out as he stood up. “Now.”

It was then a few teachers came to her, pushing all the students away from the girl as they helped her to her feet. The Beta’s heart lurched in his throat when Sasuke started breathing harshly, as if his lungs were being constricted. He didn’t know what he was doing but a sudden urge in him had him grabbing the pale wrist, pulling him away from the place. He ignored the teachers screaming at him as he pulled Sasuke and ran. 

It was only when he spotted a space underneath an old staircase that he pushed Sasuke there, dropping his bag to the ground. Sasuke reached for him then, pulling him close and wrapping his arms around him. Naruto closed his eyes tight, hugging him back when Sasuke buried his nose against his neck. A shiver ran down his spine but he ignored it in favour of keeping his best friend close to him. 

He patted the Alpha’s back when he noted him shivering against his hold. A sharp pain echoed in his chest, sadness overwhelming his senses when the Alpha’s knees buckled, bringing them both to the ground. In between his legs, Naruto allowed Sasuke to pull him closer. He hated how the boy who seemed to carry himself with confidence was now nothing but a shaking leaf. 

“You okay?” Naruto said, gently rubbing his back. Damn, what a start to their high school life. 

Sasuke didn’t answer him, merely tightening his grasp on him until he felt like he was being moulded against him. And for a brief moment, it felt right. Being like this with him. He held back from saying the words, his heart beating loudly against his chest. He resisted the urge to bury his face against the broad shoulder. 

“Fuck,” Sasuke whispered against his neck. “Fuck her. Fuck Omegas and their heats.”

Naruto thinned his lips, sighing. “I don’t think it’s her fault, Sasuke.”

Sasuke grunted under his breath. “I still hate this.”

He supposed he couldn’t argue Sasuke with that. It was weird how an Alpha recoiled in disgust at an Omega in heat. He never heard that happening until he met Sasuke. And…he felt horrible because knowing that, it made him feel at ease that he wasn’t completely fucked up either. But he didn’t realise how terrible his best friend would react to the scent of heat until justnow. 

It was as if he had been stolen of his power, looking close to vomiting. 

When the first class bell rang, his heart sank into his stomach. Fuck, and they were late. 

“Do you want to go see the nurse?” he said. 

“No.” Sasuke pressed his face harder against his neck for a moment before he pulled away. He still kept his arms around Naruto. Looking at the dark eyes now, no longer any hint of redness in them, Naruto sighed in relief that at least the Alpha had stopped shaking. “I’m fine now.”

“Okay,” Naruto said, searching his face. He smiled then when Sasuke let him go, leaning against the wall with a deep sigh. “We’re late for our first class.” Not that it mattered until the Alpha was really okay. He sat down properly on the ground, grabbing his bag to search for his water bottle. He took it out, handing it to Sasuke. “Does it…get this bad?”

Sasuke grabbed the bottle without a word, opening the cap and swallowing a mouthful of water. He sighed as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Worse.”

Naruto’s eyes widened at that. “How…bad?”

Sasuke met his gaze and held it. “Bad enough I would wish to die.”

His heart almost stopped beating at that. He grabbed Sasuke’s shoulders, squeezing them. “Are you okay now?”

The taller boy stared at him. It was a look he hand’t seen before on him. Even so, he felt flustered under those eyes. In the end, Sasuke simply smiled, placing a hand on his head to pat him. Naruto squeezed his eyes for a second before he smiled back. 

“I’m fine now,” Sasuke said as he handed back his bottle. “Let’s get to class.”

Naruto nodded, waiting until the Alpha had stood up before he did too. He kept a close eye on Sasuke as they left the small alcove underneath the staircase. His face wasn’t so red anymore and when the taller boy dusted himself and straightened his clothes, he was back to that confident Alpha that Naruto believed him to be. 

Relief then washed over him. At least he was fine for real now. 

When Sasuke glanced at him, Naruto smiled again and followed him to their classes.

***

Naruto leaned into his seat as he munched on a bag of chips, straddling his chair. He placed a hand on his arm that was resting on the back of the furniture, eyeing the books opened before him. Sakura was busy jotting things down in her notebook while Kiba sat at the other side of the table, Hinata speaking to him. Naruto drummed his fingers on the table, occasionally shooting glances at the entrance of their room. 

“Sasuke’s been called by a teacher if you’re wondering where he is,” Sakura said, catching his attention. She had her eyes glued on her book, not even meeting his gaze. “Probably being questioned about the incident this morning.”

Naruto stopped eating, sitting straight at that. “What? He had nothing to do with it.”

Sakura stopped pencilling her words on the page, meeting his eyes at last. She sighed as she placed her forearms on the desk, leaning forward a little. “The teachers are just getting his statement and making sure he’s fine. No one is accusing him of anything.” There was a subtle, ‘Calm down’ in her voice that had him relaxing his shoulders. 

Cheeks growing hot, he glanced away to the bag of chips on his hands. It wasn’t like he was saying the teachers were accusing him. He was just worried. Sasuke hadn’t looked too hot when that girl slammed into him when she had gone into heat. Truthfully, the incident had shaken him slightly. 

Carefully, he grabbed a chip and munched on it. After a few more seconds, he stood up. Sakura raised her eyebrows, a knowing look crossed her face. He purposely ignored it. Tossing a wave at his friends, he left his classroom with a mission in his mind. To find Sasuke. 

He continued to munch on his chips as he walked down the hallway. As he passed by couples and groups of friends, he stopped at Sasuke’s classroom. A peek inside though revealed no presence of the taller boy. Frowning, he stuffed another chip into his mouth. He was a little curious where Sasuke sat though and scanned the place. 

Could it be near the windows? Or at the back? Maybe it was in the middle of the room?

A hand clasped on his shoulder then, causing his body to jolt. He turned around, almost choking on his chips. There Sasuke was, standing in front of him. 

“Sasuke!” Naruto said, smiling. 

Sasuke pulled his hand away from the blond-haired man’s shoulder, stuffing it into his pant pockets. He tilted his head to one side before he walked past him into his classroom. Ah, his seat was at the back and near the windows. Naruto followed him in, noting that no one batted an eyelash. It was a nice change of pace. It could be because no one truly knew them here. 

Or maybe high school was less destructive. 

Sasuke grabbed his bag and took out his bento box along with a book. Naruto wondered what it was inside when pale fingers gabbed the bag of chips from his hands. 

“Hey!” Naruto squawked, reaching for the bag. Sasuke side stepped him, pushing his bento box against the blond-haired man’s chest. He fumbled with it before he accidentally dropped it. “What?”

“Where’s your bento?” Sasuke asked, moving to the trashcan where he tossed the bag of chips. 

“Hey, asshole! That’s my bag of chips!” He frowned when the Alpha went back to stand in front of him, not one ounce of pity on those features. The Beta sighed. “In my bag.”

“Go get it,” Sasuke said. “I found a place we can eat our food.”

Forgetting the momentary betrayal, he nodded as he walked back into his classroom. He placed Sasuke’s bento on his desk before grabbing his own from his bag. He tossed another wave at his friends before they could ask him any questions, meeting with the Alpha who decided to wait for him outside of his room. He shoved his bento box at Sasuke, grinning when the taller boy took it without fuss. 

“Where is it?” Naruto asked as Sasuke walked ahead of him. 

“Here.” Sasuke stopped at a classroom. 

Well, it looked like a classroom until he pushed open the door to the side, revealing a quiet room with a long table and few chairs scattered around. There were also shelves of books with an old couch against a window. Naruto made a surprised noise as he walked inside, hugging the bento box closer to his chest as he took in the place. 

“What is this room?” he asked as he moved to the books, eyeing them. 

“An old literature room,” Sasuke said as he took a seat at the couch. “It’s no longer being used.”

Oh. Naruto hummed as he bounded to where his friend was and took a seat next to him. Sighing as he sunk into the worn out furniture, he let the silence settle over them. This was nice. He could probably fall asleep here easier too. A hand hit the back of his head, causing him to whine at the brief hit. 

“What was that for, bastard?” Naruto yelled, pouting when Sasuke rolled his eyes. 

“Don’t think about skipping classes and coming here to sleep, idiot,” Sasuke said, reading his mind. 

His face heated up at being caught, huffing a breath. He pointed at the Alpha’s bento box on his lap while his own box was being opened. The taller boy didn’t say anything else nor did he pay attention to the still pointing finger at his food. 

“This looks delicious, man,” Naruto said, giving up at him pointing at the box and opened it. “Why would you want to trade this with Iruka’s bento?”

“For some stupid reason, you don’t like eating his food,” Sasuke said. “So, eat mine.”

“I like chips and ramen, though,” Naruto said, eating Sasuke’s food anyway. 

“They’re not good for you.” Sasuke rolled his eyes again when Naruto gasped. 

Well, he couldn’t argue with that. The Alpha seemed to hate anything that tasted good and unhealthy. He quietly ate his bento, his mind racing back to the incident this morning. Munching on a sweet egg roll that felt like it was made for him, he tried to find the right words to ask Sasuke about it. 

At the end he said, “Sakura said the teacher called you about the incident this morning. What did they say?”

Sasuke shrugged. “They wanted to make sure I was fine.”

Naruto hummed under his breath. “They…” 

Nervousness bubbled at the pit of his stomach at the words he wanted to ask. He wanted to confirm that no one accused Sasuke of anything. But he didn’t know if that would be right to ask. Would it be weird? He stuffed the rest of the egg roll into his mouth. 

“They what?” Sasuke’s calm voice cut through his brain, making him halt. 

“They didn’t accuse you of…” Naruto couldn’t go further than this, awkwardness settling deep in his bone as he squared his shoulders. 

“No.” Sasuke’s reply had him relaxing his body. He slumped against the couch with a sigh. The Alpha snorted under his breath. “Were you worried they did?”

“Of course I did!” Naruto whined as he tossed his head back to look at the ceiling. “You’re my best friend. I’m just afraid they think you kickstarted her heat or something.”

Sasuke remained quiet for a few seconds before he leaned forward. There was a brief clatter before the couch creaked, weight shifting on it. Naruto turned his head, breath hitching in his throat when Sasuke had turned his body to face him. The Alpha had his head pressed against the wall to stare at him and on his lips was a smile. 

Naruto blinked a few times before he sat straighter, the awkwardness in his body intensifying at the look in his best friend’s eyes. He scratched the side of his neck as he stuffed rice into his mouth. 

When Sasuke continued to stare at him, the Beta finally said, “What?”

Closing the bento box, Naruto placed it near his feet. Sasuke smiled a bit more before he said, “You’re something.”

Naruto raised his eyebrows as he turned his body to face his friend, one knee on the couch while the other on the floor. He touched his own shin. “Something? What does that supposed to mean?”

Sasuke poked his forehead, causing him to frown as he rubbed at the spot where he was touched. “Just something.”

“You make _no sense_ sometimes, man,” Naruto said, chuckling. “Hey, I’m curious. If Omegas don’t do it for you, then who would do for you?”

Sasuke dropped his hand that had been hovering in air, no doubt to flick his forehead again. He waited patiently as the dark eyes searched his face. It wasn’t really something that had been bothering him but—if Sasuke was an Alpha who disliked Omegas and their heats, how would he pair with someone?

“Who?” Sasuke said, frowning. 

“Yeah,” Naruto said, rocking a little. “I mean, we’re in high school now, Sasuke. We’re going to have to get girlfriends someday soon.”

“Girlfriends.” The word was said in such a flat tone that it had Naruto’s smile dying on his face. “Is that what you want?”

Naruto blinked. “Well, yeah? Who wouldn’t want a girlfriend?”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him. The air between them shifted a little and Naruto didn’t know why. He rewinded in his mind what he had said but nothing came up. Giving his best friend an awkward chuckle, he scratched the back of his neck. 

“I don’t want a girlfriend,” Sasuke said, voice still flat. 

Naruto hummed. “A boyfriend then?”

Sasuke crossed his arms against his chest as he sighed. “Why are we talking about this?”

“I’m curious!” Naruto smiled. “I mean, you’re a good looking guy. You’re an Alpha. You’re wanted.” He smiled wider, leaning forward. “Do you have someone you like?”

Sasuke placed a hand on Naruto’s face and pushed him away. He flopped on his back on the other side of the couch, a faux sad sigh escaping his lips. When he raised himself on his elbows, he froze at the slight red tint on the Alpha’s cheeks, Sasuke looking at the windows and avoiding his gaze. 

His heart skipped a beat before something akin to a rock settled at the pit of his stomach. 

“You like someone,” Naruto said, catching Sasuke’s gaze on him. He had been joking when he asked Sasuke. He didn’t think it was true. And now the idea was no longer fun. He sat up properly. “Who is it?”

Sasuke shrugged, bending down to take his bento box. “You don’t need to know.”

The words weren’t said out of malice. But they hit in a way that had hurt curling in his chest at the words. A part of him had wanted to shake Sasuke and ask who it was. Were they pretty? Cute? What designation were they? He curled his fingers into fists instead, forcing his head to stop the scenarios of Sasuke being with this imaginary person. 

“Why not?” Naruto whispered, causing Sasuke to stop his movements. “Are they pretty?”

Sasuke sighed under his breath, pulling himself to slump against the couch before he tilted his head to look at him. There was a few seconds of silence between them before the Alpha said, “They’re cute, I guess. If stupid had a face.”

Naruto frowned. “Are you joking?”

“When have I ever joked?” Sasuke said. “They’re oblivious too.” After a beat, he added, “You did ask.”

“I did,” Naruto said, his heart clenched tight in his chest. He wasn’t sure why he was feeling this way but he disliked it. “I’m sure they’ll like you back. You’re a nice guy.”

Sasuke hummed. “They don’t even know how I feel.”

‘You should tell them’ was what someone would normally say after learning that their best friend liked someone. But Naruto couldn’t get the words out of his mouth. This wasn’t a normal reaction to someone saying they had a crush. And he was the one who breached the topic. He pressed a hand over his mouth, his shoulders slumping. 

“I wish someone liked me,” Naruto whispered under his breath. 

From his peripheral vision, the Alpha froze for a few seconds before he pulled himself together. Sasuke hummed again, not offering anything else. And just like that, the conversation between them died and along it Naruto’s appetite.

***

“A festival?” Naruto said as he walked down the hallway with Sakura by his side. “Ah, right. There was something like that.” He remembered their homeroom teacher was assigning them tasks and he had zoned out, thinking about anything but that. 

Specifically about who caught Sasuke’s attention. 

A week later and he was nowhere near figuring it out. He kept an eye out to who Sasuke spoke to and how he reacted to others but unless someone asked him an important question, he usually hung around Naruto and occasionally, albeit forced to, around Sakura and Kiba. Sakura slapped his arm, causing him to wince. 

“That hurts!” Naruto said. 

“Pay attention to these things next time,” Sakura said. “No wonder you didn’t object to them assigning you to cafe duties.”

“Cafe duties?” Naruto blinked, dread washing over him. “You mean like those maid—”

“It’s cross-dressing-themed too,” Sakura said, grinning when Naruto paled. 

He stopped walking, rubbing both of his hands down his face in frustration. Fuck, he didn’t pay attention and now he was assigned to this. “Is there a way to exchange roles with someone else?”

Sakura huffed. “Good luck with that. On the bright side, it’s a good mix of boys and girls becoming waiters and waitresses.” 

“Damn it,” he said, sighing under his breath. “I wonder what Sasuke’s class is doing.”

She shrugged, looking bored of the topic already. He chuckled before he tossed an arm across her shoulders and pulled her close. Her shoulders tensed before she shook him off him, glaring at him. He pouted, crossing his arms against his chest. 

“Oh look, speak of the devil,” she said, her voice flat as they both stopped walking at the scene in front of them. 

Sasuke was outside of his classroom speaking to a girl with a bright smile. She had blond hair and navy blue eyes, short and petite but one that had an animated face. She was swaying close to the Alpha and—surprisingly, Sasuke didn’t move back like he usually did when someone got too close to him. Naruto furrowed his eyebrows as his heart throbbed once in his chest. Sakura nudged his arm, forcing him to break his gaze at the scene and look at her. 

“I wonder if the bastard will finally get himself a girlfriend and leave us alone,” she said. 

And if that happened…

He turned his gaze back at the duo, his lips thinning. He should be happy right now, even encouraging that Sasuke was going to be with someone. He should ask him to pursue the girl or guy he liked. And yet, when the scene before him unfolded, all he could do was freeze there with his blood turning cold. He took a step back, looking to the floor as a familiar ache in his chest brought himself back to reality. 

What was he even doing? 

This was not how good friends acted like. 

“Come on,” Naruto said, smiling at Sakura. “I want to check if this school has any secret vending machines.”

Sakura rolled her eyes, slapping his shoulder as they walked past Sasuke and the girl. He resolutely kept his eyes straight ahead, not even when the hair at the back of his neck stood up as if he was being watched.

***

Naruto kicked a small pebble as he waited at the entrance of their school. He promised Sasuke that they would also go home together so he couldn't weasel his way out of this one. It was a few more minutes before the very boy he had been waiting for walked out of the building. Naruto raised his hand, about to wave at them when he spotted the same girl back at the hallway next to the youngest Uchiha. She was chattering loudly and Sasuke was nodding once in a while. It was only when Sasuke was a few steps away from the Beta did the girl wave at him and parted ways. 

“Come on,” Sasuke said, walking past him to head down the general direction where their homes were. 

Naruto didn’t move for a second, eyeing at the retreating back of the petite girl before he followed Sasuke. His mood dampened further. They seemed to be getting along and she wasn’t terrified of him like some of the people were. What was even more shocking was how calm Sasuke was when she was so close to him. 

Was she the one Sasuke liked?

He bit his bottom lip. But he hadn’t seen her around before. Was she from their school before they entered high school?

He scratched the back of his neck, troubled with these thoughts occupying his mind. 

“What are you thinking about?” Sasuke’s question pierced through his rumination. 

Naruto fumbled with his words as panic flared within him. “Nothing.”

Sasuke frowned. He didn’t question any further but that expression was enough to cause guilt to bubble in his chest. Fuck. He grabbed the handle of his bag and squeezed them tight. There was no way he could tell Sasuke what he felt about him getting a girlfriend or about the person he liked. It would make him look weird. 

He couldn’t understand these feelings himself. 

“I’m thinking about the festival,” Naruto said, pulling out the first thing that popped into his mind. It wasn’t a complete lie. “We’re doing a maid cafe. Oh well, a cafe but sans maids. I think. There’s cross-dressing involved so maybe there will be maids. But it’ll be me in one.”

Naruto couldn’t even imagine how he would look like. In such an outfit in front of other peers of his. His cheeks heated up briefly. That was embarrassing and yet because he hadn't paid attention, it was too late to back out now. 

“Maid outfit?” Sasuke said, looking at him. “You?”

Naruto snorted under his breath, grinning. “Yeah,” he said. “Though, I might look stupid in it.” He scratched the back of his head. “I wonder if I’ll be forced to wear those knee-length white socks.”

Sasuke paused in his steps at that. Naruto did too, blinking when the Alpha searched his face. Then his gaze dropped to his legs and stared there. The Beta’s grip on his bag tightened and he suddenly felt self-conscious. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, holding his breath when Sasuke dragged his gaze back to his face. 

There was unreadable look on his face that only caused his heart to speed up. 

Naruto cleared his throat, walking as he laughed nervously. “Anyway, what’s your class doing for it?”

Sasuke didn’t reply for a few seconds. It was only when Naruto dared to take a look at him that he realised that the Alpha was staring at the ground, hands in his pant pockets and eyebrows furrowed. He looked deep in his thoughts and Naruto was almost tempted to poke at him. He was the one ruminating now. 

“Haunted house,” Sasuke said, absent-mindedly as they reached the t-junction separating them. Naruto nodded, waving at the Alpha and was about to break away when pale fingers wrapped around his wrist and halted him. It was the first time that the Beta really noticed this but Sasuke was really warm. “When will they dress you in the outfit?”

Naruto scratched his temples. “Uh, I’m not sure.”

“Let me know,” Sasuke said, letting him go. “See you tomorrow.”

“Let you know?” Naruto said, though he didn’t get an answer as Sasuke walked away to the other side of the place. “Sasuke?” He frowned, rubbing a hand over his mouth. 

He took in a deep breath before he shook his head. His heart continued to beat loudly as he forced his legs to finally move. High school was definitely opening up roads he didn’t think was possible. From him wearing a possible maid outfit to Sasuke’s crush…

He tilted his head to the sky and sighed. 

He was growing weirder.

***

There was a vending machine! It was one located at the second floor where his seniors were, at the open space of stairs connecting between his floor and theirs. And it had the bun he loved too! Jackpot! He grinned as he picked his bun from it, crouching down to take it from its flap. Just as he took it, someone walked down the stairs from the second floor to stand next to him. Naruto stood up, opening his melon bun, glancing to his right. 

His body grew rigid when he recognised who it was next to him. 

It was the girl from a few days ago, the one that had been hanging around Sasuke a lot. She had her blond hair in a ponytail as she picked an orange drink from the vending machine. From this close, he supposed he could see her appeal. She was pretty and her eyes were round and big. Any sane guy would like her. 

He must’ve been staring at her for quite some time because she finally turned to look at him, smiling at him. 

“Hi!” she said, her voice tad squeaky. “Are you Uzumaki-kun?”

Naruto blinked, taken aback that she recognised him. He nodded, taking a tentative munch of the bun. She smiled as she poked a straw through her orange drink and sipped on it. 

“I’m Aoi Misaki,” she said, pointing to herself as she grinned. “You can call me Misaki-chan if you want. Can I be familiar with you and call you Naruto-kun?”

He shrugged. He really didn’t mind people using his first name, preferring that over his last name usage. “Sure, Misaki-chan,” he said. 

Though it still felt odd on his tongue. He didn’t really ever call a stranger by their first name so easily like this. Well, besides Sasuke before they became friends. At the thought of the Alpha, he took another bite of his bun. 

“Are you close with Uchiha-kun?” she asked, her eyes sparkling. 

Naruto’s heart almost stuttered to a stop. Flashback to the last time a girl asked him that question had been when he was pulled to the school backyard to be bullied. He squared his shoulders and took a small step backwards. 

“Yes,” he said, keeping his words short and sweet as wariness flooded his senses. 

“Oh, that’s good,” she said, not one ounce of anger or disgust in her voice. “Hey, Naruto-kun. I know we don’t know each other but…I want to ask for your help.”

Naruto frowned a bit. “Help for what?”

“For…” Her cheeks reddened as she sipped her orange juice, dropping her gaze to the ground. “I…I want to get to know Uchiha-kun better. I’ve been watching him since he started here and…I would really like to know him better.” 

Naruto’s heart skipped a beat as dread washed over him. “You like Sasuke.”

“Ah, well…” She bit her bottom lip, looking at him from underneath her eyelashes. “Yes. But I don’t want to confess. Not yet. I want to ask him out on a date but the only thing keeping us tied is the festival. He only ever talks to me about it since we’re both class representatives and year representatives.”

He had no idea Sasuke had such a position. Why hadn’t the Alpha told him? He tightened his grip on his bun, his mind racing with the building questions. And the more she looked at him like he could be her ticket to dating Sasuke, the less happy he got. The familiar sick feeling crawled back and settled at the pit of his stomach. Before a sense of reality came knocking at his door. 

She was pretty. She looked nice. 

Sasuke would fit her well. 

He quietly ate his bread. 

“Can you…can you persuade him to go on a date with me?” she said, her face now completely dyed in red. “Please? Just one date.”

“I…” Naruto choked on his words when she took his free hand and clenched it tight in her grip. 

“I’m relying on you, okay?” she said, smiling. “Please?”

Naruto wanted to deny her. He wanted to push her away and tell her that if she wanted to go on a date with him, she should do it herself. But in his head, all he saw was Sasuke with a woman by his side that was of his caliber. He couldn’t forever be single. 

Even if for some weird reason, Naruto disliked it. 

He glanced down at their hands. “Okay,” he whispered.

***

Naruto poked at the rice in Sasuke’s bento as they sat next to each other in the old literature room. He didn’t have any appetite. At the end, he sighed and closed the box, placing it on the floor near his feet. He grabbed his orange juice box and sipped on it instead, earning the dark gaze to land on him. 

“Oi,” Sasuke said, catching his gaze. “Eat.”

“I’m not hungry,” Naruto said, curling his legs against his chest to continue sipping his juice. 

The Alpha raised his eyebrows, no doubt confused as to why he rejected food. It was out of character for him, especially when it came down to Sasuke’s bentos. He shrugged when Sasuke continued to stare at him, as if he could find the answer by just doing that. 

Sasuke closed the bento box he was holding and placed it one the floor next to his legs as well, turning his body to face the Beta. After a while, he said, “What?”

“Hm?” Naruto blinked, trying to feign innocence under Sasuke’s dark gaze. When Misaki’s face flashed in his mind, he could only look away, guilt bubbling at the pit of his stomach. It had been two days since she asked of him this favour and he made no move to actually fulfil it. “Nothing.”

It was clear as day that he was lying. Especially when Sasuke sighed and nudged his foot with his leg. “Naruto.”

The Beta fidgeted with his orange juice box in his hands, pulling and shoving the straw into the box over and over until he was sure that he had destroyed the item in his hands. It was only when pale fingers grasped it from him that he sighed. 

“Do you know Aoi Misaki?” he said. 

At the mention of her name, Sasuke paused in his movements. “Hn,” Sasuke said, as he held Naruto’s juice box in his hands. “What about her?”

Naruto remained silent for a few seconds. “I talked to her two days ago.”

He had expected for the Alpha to react but he didn’t expect for Sasuke to square his shoulders and narrow his eyes. There was a glint in his eyes that had him second-guessing what he was about to do. But no. He promised someone he would convey this to Sasuke and it was not his place to not carry out that. 

“What does she want?” Sasuke said, his gaze firm on the Beta.

Naruto tried to find the right way to convey what she wanted without coming across as demanding. He scratched the side of his face as he looked away, deciding to focus his attention on the floor. “I didn’t realise you’re a representative for the year and class. She said that’s how you two met.”

Sasuke bent down to place the orange juice on the floor. “I didn’t think it was important.”

Wincing at the words, he wondered if they would be like this if they continued to remain as friends. He didn’t know why he was so butt hurt over the fact Sasuke didn’t tell him he was a representative. In fact, he didn’t know why he was so—upset over the fact Sasuke had a girl liking him. And it could very well be that she was the one that Sasuke was referring to when he talked about the person he liked. 

“Right,” Naruto said, voice in a low volume. “Hey, Sasuke. She’s pretty, don’t you think? She has those pretty eyes and she’s small and cute.” He made gestures to her height with his hand. Then, he curled his fingers into fists and placed them on his knees. “She’s pretty.”

“Do you like her?” Sasuke said in a voice that Naruto hadn’t heard him using before. 

Snapping his gaze at the Alpha, his breath hitched in his throat at how dark those eyes were. They looked so black even though Naruto _knew_ they never harboured this shade before. Was he imagining things? 

When the question registered in his head, he recoiled a little, pushing his back against the cushions. “No,” he said, earnestly. “I don’t like her.” And that was the honest truth. “But you might. If you give her a chance.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened then. The shock colouring his best friend’s face before those eyes lost any sense of emotions had him panicking. Had he messed up?

“What?” Sasuke said, placing a hand over the top of the couch. 

A shiver ran down his spine at the tone of his voice. There was a part of him that told him to thread this conversation properly and lightly. He might be walking into a minefield. And he didn’t want this tentative friendship between them to die over a girl. 

He swallowed past a lump that formed in his throat. “She…wanted me to persuade you to agree on a date with her.” Naruto cleared his throat as he pressed his fingers on his knees. “She looks nice. She sounds nice. I mean…I’m just doing what’s asked of me.”

“Are you serious?” Sasuke said, catching his eyes. 

This was the first time he heard a timbre in his voice that resembled an ounce of anger. Naruto sighed, his shoulders slumping as he nodded. The Alpha clearly didn’t take well to the answer because he scoffed under his breath. 

“Did you just scoff at me, asshole?” Naruto said, tensing when the Alpha glared at him. He frowned. “What?”

“No,” Sasuke said. “I don’t want to go on any stupid dates with her. Especially if she’s too much of a coward to ask for it herself and thinks she can use you as a tool to get to me.”

Naruto blinked at the words. He grasped Sasuke’s shoulder. “Oi, don’t be so rude. She genuinely likes you.”

“So what?” Sasuke yanked his shoulder away from Naruto’s touch. He pointed a finger at Naruto. “Until when do you plan to be pushed around like an actual idiot?”

“What the fuck, man?” Naruto slapped the pale hand away from his face, standing up. “I’m just helping out someone.”

“By pawning off your friend to every single person that bats their eye at them?” Sasuke snapped. 

Naruto quietened at the words, the guilt intensifying within him. “I…That isn’t what I meant. She just asked for a favour, Sasuke.” 

“You know, you’re really fixated on me liking someone,” Sasuke said, anger colouring his words as he stood up, moving to grab his bento box. “If you want to get rid of me, all you need to do is say the words.”

“Wait, Sasuke—” Panic coloured his senses when Sasuke tossed a glare at him as he moved to leave the room. Not wanting to let the Alpha go, he grabbed his best friend’s arm and held him off from doing so. “Sasuke, wait. Please.”

Sasuke’s shoulders were still squared despite he allowed Naruto to touch him. He thinned his lips, worry gnawing at the edge of his mind. He didn’t mean to make him feel that way. Heck, he didn’t even want to do this. But he couldn't really say no. He couldn’t deny her request. He had no right. 

“Sasuke,” Naruto said, almost hugging his arm against his chest, a certain meekness settling in him when the Alpha glanced at him over his shoulders. “Please don’t go.”

It was with those words that Sasuke sighed, lowering his head before he turned around to look at the Beta in the eyes. He didn’t say a word, preferring to stand there and let Naruto do the talking but that was fine. He needed to explain to his best friend anyway what he meant. 

“I can’t say no,” Naruto said, fumbling through the words as he tightened his grip on the arm. “I can’t say no, Sasuke. I have no right to say no. This is your life. If there’s someone who’s genuinely interested in you, I have no right to stand in the way.” He was a Beta at that. A fucked up one. He counted himself lucky that an Alpha like Sasuke even became friends with him. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“You did have a choice,” Sasuke said, his voice low but they were less tense than before. “You could say no.”

“And what would I answer if they question me as to why I did that?” Naruto said, gritting his teeth as frustration bubbled within him. “It’s not like I want to be the middle man. I don’t know why but I hated the fact she asked me to persuade you for a date. Even though in my head, it made sense. She’s pretty. She seemed like she would make a good partner.”

Sasuke remained quiet before he turned and tossed the bento box on the table. The clattering on the table had his breath hitching in his throat. At that, he loosened his grip on Sasuke’s arm. The Alpha took the chance to lessen the distance between them. Before Naruto could question anything, pale hands reached to grab his face. His heart skipped a beat as he was pulled close. 

In reflex, Naruto placed a hand on his best friend’s chest. Heat began to crawl up his neck, settling on his face when Sasuke stared at him in the eyes. He made a low noise at the back of his throat when the Alpha pressed his hands harder against his cheeks.

“From now on,” Sasuke said, “you say no. I’m giving you the right to say no on my behalf. If they ask, tell them it’s none of their business.” 

“What…” Naruto reached a hand to circle Sasuke’s right wrist. “What do you mean…”

“I’m giving you the right,” Sasuke said, not leaving room for any argument. 

“Just because you say that,” Naruto said, searching his face as the panic and anxiety morphed into confusion. What was going on? The way Sasuke’s touch burned into his skin and how close they were made it hard to breathe. “Just because you say that, it doesn’t mean I _can_ exercise that right. And what right are you even giving me? I’m just your friend.”

Sasuke searched his face. There was a faint furrow between his eyebrows that Naruto wanted to smooth out. “You’re an idiot.”

Hurt at that, he yanked his face away from Sasuke’s grip, glaring at him. “Yeah, I’m an idiot. Sorry I don’t understand your cryptic-ass messages.” He bent down to grab his own bento. Just as he did that, a strong grip on his arm yanked him straight. A surprised noise escaped his lips as he was forcedly turned around. Sasuke touched his waist then, pulling him close until he was flushed against him. “Sasuke, what the—”

“I’m giving you the rights as someone I like,” Sasuke said, cradling his face as their faces were just an inch away. 

Naruto’s eyes widened as the words burned in his brain. “W-What?” he screeched, his heart beating loudly against his chest. “You’re joking…”

“I’m not,” Sasuke said. 

Naruto’s throat dried and his mind blanked from the responses. Liked. As someone he liked. What… He couldn’t comprehend what he meant. The Alpha before him still kept him tight against him, cradling his face and forcing his head to tilt backwards. This close, Naruto could see small shards of red hidden in those eyes, ones that he didn’t even notice before this. 

His heart skipped a beat as he placed a tentative hand on Sasuke’s chest. 

“What…What do you mean like?” Naruto tried to pull away from Sasuke but the taller boy simple tightened his grasp on his body. “I…I thought you liked someone. You had your eyes set on someone.”

Sasuke sighed under his breath. He eliminated the distance between them until their foreheads touched. A soft gasp escaped his lips at that, warmth pooling at every spot that Sasuke touched. Butterflies erupted in his stomach, stealing his breath away and along it, the little budding courage he had to pretend that he was fine.

Because he was far from fine. 

His mind was spinning at the revelation. 

“You’re the one I like, stupid,” Sasuke said, his voice leaked in slight frustration. “I’ve always liked you. I didn’t plan on confessing…but you being this oblivious is a pain.” After a beat, he added in a softer tone, “And…you look like you might return my feelings.”

Naruto blinked before he panicked. He pushed Sasuke away from him, skidding backwards and causing him to fall on the couch with a loud noise. His breath came out in short puffs. The Alpha before him was surely pulling his leg. Because there was no way someone like him liked Naruto. There was no way. 

And yet…instead of the disgust he thought he would feel, there was this feeling of warmth in his chest. 

And it freaked him out. 

“I don’t like you that way!” Naruto said, loudly. “You’re wrong! I only see you as a friend.”

Sasuke took a step towards him and Naruto placed both of his palms outwards, stopping him. The Alpha gritted his teeth. The frustration was clear on his face and Naruto knew they were one word away from an argument. This was a familiar tango by now. Only, they were arguing over something that was far bigger. 

“A friend that gets upset at someone trying to get close to me,” Sasuke said, exposing him. 

“You’re wrong,” Naruto said, looking at everything but at Sasuke. “I just didn’t want to be lonely. You’re my best friend, Sasuke! I just didn’t want to lose you. That’s all.” His breath stuttered in his throat when Sasuke bent down, placing a hand on the couch and the other hand grasped his chin, forcing his head until their eyes met. “Sasuke—”

“Too late for me to take it back now,” Sasuke said. “I like you. I never saw you as just a friend.”

He didn’t understand why this was happening. He hadn’t done anything to make Sasuke think he had other intention befriending him. Right? His heart squeezed in his chest. He didn’t know what to do. He curled his fingers into fists at his side, biting his bottom lip. It was when those eyes landed on his lip that the heat flamed his face. 

“I want more with you,” Sasuke said. “I won’t push you. All I’m asking is for a chance.”

“A chance?”

“To prove to you that I want you,” Sasuke said, rearranging his fingers that had been on his chin to cradle his face in a gentle move. “To prove to you that I like you as more than a friend.”

Naruto swallowed. “This…I don’t get it. I feel like I didn’t do anything to make you like me. I…”

Sasuke smiled then, the corners of his lips quirking upwards in a way that made him look ten times more attractive. Naruto’s thoughts came to a wild screeching halt. 

“You have no idea what you gave me when you walked into my life.” Naruto’s breath hitched in his throat when Sasuke lessened the distance between their faces, their noses brushing. When his hot breath fanned on his upper lip, Naruto closed his eyes shut, trying to resist the incoming kiss. There was a few seconds of silence before a hot press at his forehead had him snapping his eyes open again. And then Sasuke took a step back, allowing room between them. Just in time for the break bell to ring. “I’ll see you after school.” 

Naruto opened his mouth to speak but when no words came out, the Alpha placed a hand on his head and then left with the bento box in his hands. When silence washed over him, his entire face burned hot. He placed both of his hands on his head as he curled his legs over his chest. Screaming quietly at what had happened, he pressed his forehead against his knees. 

What the fuck?

Sasuke liked him. Liked liked him. _Liked him_. 

How surreal was that?

He squirmed in his seat, unable to grasp the new reality he had walked into. He pressed both of his palms on his face, trying to take in air so he didn’t pass out. Sasuke, the Alpha who everyone chased after, had his heart set on him. 

The Beta with Omega recessive genes. 

His heart almost stopped beating then. 

Sasuke had set his sights on _him_. 

The fucked up Beta. He gasped as he raised his head, staring at the entrance of the room. Sasuke…had chosen him out of many others. And he had no idea.

He wasn’t special. He couldn’t even understand that the person Sasuke liked was him until he was almost kissed by him. 

He bit the nail of his thumb. Dread washed over him, replacing the momentary burst of confusion and…happiness. Sasuke wanted him. 

And Naruto couldn’t grant him that. Not when he knew that they had their whole lives ahead of him. He counted himself lucky to be his friend but anything more would be impossible between them. Naruto couldn’t allow Sasuke into his world where the best version of compliments he got was thinly veiled insults. 

He pressed a hand on his chest, hurt throbbing in the darkest part of his mind. 

Sasuke deserved someone better than him. 

Not Naruto. 

Not this abnormal Beta.

***

He decided to avoid Sasuke as if his life depended on it. 

And that meant extensive measures taken to avoid the Alpha because he hadn’t realised how his life had been so intertwined with his until that very moment. Waking up an hour earlier before Sasuke arrived to leave to school and hiding out until it was way past leaving time to trick the Alpha that he had left was one of the easier tasks.

It was during breaks and everything in between that was harder. Every time he spotted any telltale signs of the tall, pale-skinned man, he made sure he rushed away from him. Sasuke’s confession lingered in his brain and along with it was the astute memory of his warmth on his skin. 

The feeling that that had been right freaked him out along with the reality reminding him that a Beta and Alpha were not meant to be. 

He bit his inner cheek as he peeked into the corridor, sighing when the coast was clear. It had been four days since then and he made sure he kept his stealthy avoiding as much as he could. But he supposed being absent of Sasuke would raise some eyebrows. Especially from Sakura herself as she slapped his back, causing him to yelp in shock. 

“Sakura!” he said, hugging his bag against his chest. 

“What are you doing?” she said, crossing her arms. 

“What?” he said, standing up straighter. 

He smoothed out his features so he didn’t look suspicious. But Sakura merely stared at him as if she had figured him out. And he wouldn’t be surprised if she had. 

“Hey, where’s the Uchiha?” she said, her voice careful. 

At the mention of Sasuke, he went rigid. His deep voice and his dark eyes flashed in his mind, causing him to flush in heat. He glanced away, turning his head to face the right side of the hall. His breath hitched in his throat when he saw Sasuke climbing down the stairs, hands in his pockets. Frozen in his steps, he made a weird, choked noise at the back of his throat when the Alpha finally reached his floor and lifted his gaze to meet his blue ones from across the hallway. 

Fuck. 

“Gotta go,” he said, scramming away from the scene as he immediately ran to the opposite direction. 

He didn’t even look at where he was going when he bumped straight into a chest. He yelped when he stumbled back and landed on his ass. He looked up, ready to apologise when his heart almost gave out at the pair of dark eyes on him. He blinked again before he realised who he was staring at. It wasn’t Sasuke. 

But…someone who definitely had his looks. With dark hair, pale skin and tall—he almost resembled Sasuke. The boy was thinner though as he crouched down to grab his sketchbooks.

“S-Sorry,” Naruto said as he moved to help him. 

The boy gave him a smile before he stood up, helping Naruto up on his feet. “No worries,” he said. “You should look where you’re going though. You might hurt your pretty face.”

Naruto blinked, taken aback at the words. Giving out a nervous chuckle, he handed back the rest of the books he had picked up to the other boy. “Still sorry.”

“Right, I should get going,” the other boy said, smiling at Naruto. “Take care.”

Naruto nodded, waving at him as he was left there wondering what he had seen. A Sasuke look-alike. But a bit more artistic? He scratched the back of his neck. The universe really didn’t want him to forget about him, huh? His heart skipped a beat as he walked away, glancing over his shoulders to make sure that the actual Alpha hadn’t spotted or followed him. 

And he hadn’t. 

For some reason, instead of relief, he just felt…empty. And disappointed.

***

Naruto acknowledged that he was the one who decided that they should take time apart. So, he didn’t know why his heart ached when he did spot Sasuke with Misaki for the first time today since he had started his operation on avoiding the Alpha for the past one week. They were talking outside of his classroom and she looked really happy. 

He had a melon bun in his hand, halfway into his mouth when he came across this scene. He wanted to turn around and leave, continue on with his plan. Because the thing between them had grown so complicated, he didn’t know what to do with it. Sasuke was wrong about how he felt. 

He didn’t like Sasuke that way and to keep their hearts intact, he had to distant themselves. 

And yet, he found himself contradicting that very fact when there was a spark of bitterness in his chest as she reached to touch the Alpha. And Sasuke allowed her hand to linger on his arm. If only a moment before he shifted away. 

The crinkle of the plastic must’ve been loud even through the murmurs of other students because Sasuke snapped his head at his direction, meeting his eyes. Time slowed down right there and then, the noise around them became white noise. In his mind, there was no one else but Sasuke. 

And it felt like an eternity since he had seen him. 

“Oh, Naruto-kun!” Misaki said, catching his attention as she waved at him with a grin on her face. “How’re you?”

Naruto couldn’t really speak to her from all the way there so he lessened the distance between them. It was enough that he could maintain a distance between Sasuke and him and yet be in a respectful closeness with Misaki. 

“I’m fine,” he said, words lacking lustre as he lied through his teeth. 

“Ah,” she said, glancing at Sasuke before meeting his blue eyes. “We’re just talking about the festival. You’re from class 1-C, right? I heard you guys are doing a maid cafe! Ah, I love those.”

“Ah, well,” Naruto said, glancing away as he rubbed his nose. “Yeah. I’m one of the waiters.”

Her eyes widened before she slapped his arm, giggling. “I heard it’s also a cross-dressing theme. I’m sure you’ll look pretty in one.”

Pretty. That word again. He scratched the back of his neck now as he gave her a nervous grin. “You’re not the first to say that,” he said. “I must look really pretty.”

Misaki’s eyes sparkled in mirth. When Naruto glanced at Sasuke, his heart almost gave out at the burning gaze the Alpha was giving him. He glanced down before he thinned his lips. He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t even apologise because he felt like he did the right thing. When he met her eyes, he could see how much easier she would be to stand by Sasuke’s side. 

There was no way Naruto could be what Sasuke wanted. 

And that was why they needed to part ways. 

“Sorry, I just realised I have something to do,” Naruto said, smiling as he took a step back. “Gotta go, see ya!”

Just as he was about to leave, Sasuke reached forward to touch his hand. His heart lurched in his chest at that and he slapped his hand away. Time stood still again at what he had done. The Alpha’s eyes widened and his mouth parted a little, shock clear on his face. Naruto panicked, the words of sorry getting stuck in his throat again. 

He didn’t mean to do that. 

But he couldn’t get the phrase out so he turned around and jogged away, his heart clenching tight in his chest.

***

He found what seemed like an abandoned staircase that he had visited once. During the first day of school when an Omega in heat tossed herself at them. The alcove where he had taken Sasuke to calm him down. He sat at one of the steps, his fingers reaching to his neck. Sasuke had pressed his face there twice in their friendship. One was out of something Naruto asked and the other was to calm him down from the heat incident. 

And at the time he didn’t think much of it. But didn’t Sasuke say that he was sensitive to smells and scents? 

And yet…he clung close to him when he smelt him. 

His heart throbbed in his chest as he sighed, pressing his forearms on the stairs as he leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling. 

“Oh, you’re here,” a voice said, catching his attention. He looked ahead, blinking when he met with the Sasuke lookalike. “Hi.”

“You!” Naruto said, sitting up as the taller boy smiled, moving to stand at the bottom of the stairs to look at him properly. 

“Yes, me,” the boy said. “What are you doing here? No one usually comes around here anymore since they sealed off the rooftop.”

“Oh, this is where the stairs lead then,” Naruto murmured. “Why’s it closed off?”

The boy hummed before he moved to take a seat next to Naruto, turning his body to face him. “Do you really want to know? You might not want to come back here if you did.”

The words sent a shiver running down his spine. He leaned forward a little, curious. “What is it?”

“First,” the taller boy said, “let me introduce myself. I’m Sai.”

Naruto grinned. “Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto but you can call me Naruto.” 

Sai nodded. “Naruto-kun then,” he said. He pointed at the stairs. “There’s a story that a girl killed herself at the rooftop. The place is haunted ever since.” He shrugged, leaning against the wall as he placed his sketchbook on his lap. “I never believed it but people say if you linger here between time one to three in the morning, the rooftop door unlocks itself to invite you in and you’ll see her.”

Fear bubbled within him at that. He leaned back, making a noise under his breath as he eyed the stairs leading to the supposed haunted rooftop. “That’s scary, man.”

Sai nodded before he tilted his head to one side. “So, what are you doing here?”

Naruto blinked at being addressed the reason he was here. Sasuke’s face flashed in his mind before he shrugged. “Reasons.” When Sai continued to look at him though patiently, the Beta leaned against the stair rails. “I’m currently avoiding my best friend.”

“Ah, you mean the Uchiha?” Sai said, shocking him. 

“How…”

“You both are quite famous in this school,” Sai said. “The Alpha-Beta duo.”

Naruto’s heart hammered against his chest, a little nervous and curious about the title they had been bestowed with. Had everyone noticed? He rubbed his right arm, a bead of sweat forming at his temples. What if rumours had already started about them?

No, but then Sakura would say something to him. 

“Tell me,” Sai said, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his thighs. “I can lend an ear for you.”

The Beta bit his inner cheek, contemplating on the offer. On one hand, it seemed attractive to tell a stranger about his doubts but on the other hand…he didn’t know Sai. He hadn’t even told his other two best friends about the situation. At the end, he just shook his head, earning a nod from the taller boy. 

“Understandable, we’re just strangers,” Sai said as he leaned back against the wall. “I hope whatever it is that you’re avoiding him for, you manage to straighten it out soon.”

Naruto gave him a weak chuckle. “Yeah, me too…”

As if this was something they could fix so easily. 

“I heard your class is doing a maid cafe,” Sai said, catching his attention again. “Mine is doing something similar but with anime characters.”

Naruto was relieved for the change of subject. “Man, that sounds cool. I’d rather take that than wearing a maid outfit.”

Sai blinked, tilting his head to one side. “You’re wearing the maid dress?”

The Beta paused before his face heated up, a sheepish grin crossed his lips. “Yeah,” he said, shrugging as he glanced away. “It’s dumb.”

Sai chuckled. “I don’t think it’s dumb. You might look good in it, who knows.” 

Naruto rolled his eyes. “I’m sure a grown boy like me in a maid outfit is going to look anything but silly,” he said, sarcasm dripping in his voice. Deciding to change the subject, he pointed at Sai’s sketchbook. “You draw?”

“And paint.” Sai took one of his sketchbooks and opened to a page, handing it to Naruto to see. “It’sa hobby. Well, kind of. I’m hoping to get into an art college.”

Caressing the page, he was mesmerised immediately at the things Sai drew. They were well drawn and etched on the paper like they belonged there. “This is amazing,” Naruto said, looking at Sai. “Man, you’re gonna get into any art school with these skills!”

Sai smiled. “Thank you. It took me years to even draw decently. Especially in a family of painters.”

“Your whole family are artists?” Naruto turned to another page where a scenery greeted him. “That’s amazing.”

“A bit pressuring if anything,” Sai said with another chuckle. “Oh, that painting isn’t finished yet.”

Naruto paused at an image of a face, a portrait to be exact. It was someone he didn’t know, a face of an old woman but she was smiling. “It looks good even if it’s not finished yet.”

“It’s my grandmother,” Sai said as he leaned forward, placing his chin on the palm of his hand. “She’s the one who taught me the basics when my parents were too busy to do so.” After a beat he added, “In fact, I wanted to make that portrait of her special. I’m going to need to go buy new canvas before I can, though.”

“You have to show me once you’re done with them,” Naruto said, grinning. 

Sai nodded. “Of course,” he said before he pulled out his phone. “Would you like to exchange numbers?”

The Beta shrugged. “Sure,” he said, not finding anything wrong with that. The bell rang then, signalling that he had to get to class if he didn’t want to be late. Standing up, he smiled at Sai. “I’m going to go. Thanks for sharing that, man.”

Sai stood up as well, nodding. “I’ll talk to you later, Naruto-kun,” he said, waving his phone at the blond-haired man. 

Naruto grinned, waving back before he jogged down the hallway to exit the desolate space, merging back to the crowded hall to get to his classroom. Sai seemed like a nice guy and a talented artist too. Even if it was weird that he looked a bit too much like Sasuke. He sighed under his breath as he slowed down his pace when he reached his best friend’s classroom. A little peek revealed that the Alpha was doing something on his phone while sitting on his chair, no one talking to him. 

The Beta looked away, forcing his legs to continue walking.

***

He texted Sai a few times since then. Mostly about his artwork and how he was doing. It was a nice change of pace talking to him. While the taller boy was a bit weird in some ways, he was pleasant and he was easy to understand. It also helped that he was a Beta as well like Naruto. At least that difference from him and Sasuke eased his mind. 

His thumb paused at the send button as the thought entered his mind. 

Sasuke. 

It had officially been two weeks since he had last spoken to the Alpha. His heart ached in his chest as his face flashed in his mind. He hadn’t seen him properly again…just like he wanted. Sasuke also stopped coming by his place to pick him up or wait for him after school. Tan fingers grasped the collar of his shirt, tightening it just a tad at the pang of loneliness hitting him. 

But this was better for the both of them. 

So that Sasuke could find someone better than a fucked up Beta to love. 

Love.

His throat closed up at the word, eyes heating up. It was lonely, the days without Sasuke. He didn’t realise how closely he depended on the Alpha until he had to stop himself from doing so. How had his life been without him for so long? 

He shook his head, taking in a shaky deep breath as he pressed the send button on the message he had made for Sai. Immediately, a reply came back with a short question of, ‘Do you want to follow me to the bookstore this weekend? I’m going to get new paints.’

Naruto sent an affirmative, not finding any reasons to say no. 

Not looking at where he was going and eyes fixated on the screen, he yelped when he slammed against someone. His phone clattered to the ground. Before he could fall on his ass, strong arms grabbed his waist and his arms, hauling him back up against someone’s chest. He placed both hands around that person’s arms, taking in a shocked breath. 

It was then he realised who he had bumped into. 

Sasuke. 

The Alpha was before him. It had been days since he had last seen him and Naruto wasn’t really sure what he was expecting when he did see him. He hadn’t changed, not really. Still wearing that monotonous mask, still that pale and still looking at him with dark eyes that stole his breath…Sasuke was still the same. 

And it hit him just then that Sasuke had been the same. 

He had never looked at him as anything else but this…as someone who liked him. 

That realisation had him pushing the Alpha away, clearing his throat as he bent down to pick up his phone. Once he made sure that the screen wasn’t cracked, he glanced at his best friend, or what was left of their friendship, before giving him a slight nod. Even now, where Sasuke had touched him remained burning like fire on him. His cheeks flushed a little as he tried to walk past him. 

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, his deep voice halting him in his tracks. 

Naruto took a second to compose himself before he forced himself to walk. He was stopped once more when Sasuke held his arm, forcing him to turn and look at him. The Beta’s breath hitched in his throat, his face growing hotter at the way Sasuke looked at him. So fierce and his eyes narrowed, yet his body language leaning towards the Beta like he wanted to keep him caged. 

It was surreal that he had someone acting this way towards him. 

And he didn’t know what to do about it. 

“Let go,” Naruto said, voice coming out a little pitchier than he would have liked as he tried to pull his arm away. Sasuke merely tightened his grip. “Sasuke.”

“We need to talk,” the Alpha said, a frown crossing his lips. 

Those words sent his heart tightening in his chest and a slither of fear. “We have nothing to talk about,” Naruto said, giving out a nervous chuckle as he managed to yank his arm away from the Alpha’s grip. “Bye.”

Sasuke yelled after him as he ran. A glance over his shoulders had his eyes wide as the Alpha was chasing after him. Fuck. He took a sharp turn down the corridor and once more bumped into someone. He flailed then, reaching for something to right himself up when familiar strong arms wrapped around his body, his back flushed against Sasuke’s chest. He gasped, hands coming to hold the pale hands to steady himself. 

“Watch where you’re going, idiot,” Sasuke said, his grip on his waist and chest tightening a tad. 

“S-Sorry,” Naruto whispered, breathing harshly from the running. “Ah, Sai!”

Sai was on the ground, rubbing his back as he stood up. He gave Naruto a weak smile. “You should definitely stop bumping into people.”

Naruto pushed Sasuke’s arms away from him, taking a step towards the other Beta. “Sorry, man,” Naruto said, visually checking if he had been seriously hurt. “You good?”

“I’m fine,” Sai said, sighing before he dusted himself. “Ah, you must be the Uchiha.”

Naruto froze, forgetting that Sasuke was here as well. He tightened his grip on his phone before he shoved it in his pant pockets, clearing his throat. He needed to find a way to leave. Just as he was about to do so, Sai stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. 

“Meet me at the train station at one,” Sai said. Naruto took a second to understand what he was talking about before he made a noise of acknowledgement. 

“Who are you?” Sasuke asked, jolting Naruto with his voice close to next to him. 

Sai took away his hand before he smiled. “I’m Sai. Naruto-kun’s friend.”

“Friend,” Sasuke said, taking a step to stand next to the Beta. 

Naruto gave out a nervous chuckle, slapping Sai’s shoulder. “I’m going to head to class.”

Sasuke sighed under his breath before he grabbed Naruto’s wrist. “You can skip it this once.”

“What, Sasuke!” Naruto tried to resist but the Alpha was stronger than he thought. Before he knew it, he was dragged into the literature room he hadn’t been into since that day, thrown in before the Alpha let him go. He glared at the back of Sasuke’s head as he closed the door. “What the hell, man?”

“No, I should be asking you that,” Sasuke said, turning to face him and taking a step towards him. On reflex, Naruto took a step back. It was only when his back hit the edge of the table and Sasuke placing both of his palms on either side of his body on the surface that he realised he was trapped. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

It wasn’t a question. It was a fact. 

And as the words settled in his brain, guilt swarmed over him. 

He glanced down for a second, biting his inner cheek as he tried to find the right words to say. But he couldn’t. Because it was true that he had been avoiding him. What else could he even say? 

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, catching his eyes. There was something in that face of his that had Naruto’s heart beating loudly against his chest. And then Sasuke broke his heart when the he said, “Do you want us to stop being friends?”

Naruto thinned his lips, his fingers curling over the edge of the table. That was what he was aiming for, didn’t he? But why did it hurt so much when he heard those words out of his mouth? 

He opened his mouth before he closed it, his eyes warming again and a familiar wash of hurt curled in his chest. It wasn’t even Sasuke’s fault. It was Naruto’s. His silence apparently had been the answer before Sasuke sighed, nodding. A hand touched his head, patting him once. As if to touch him one last time. Naruto’s heart skipped a beat when Sasuke smiled at him.

One that didn’t look happy. 

Like he was holding back hurt and Naruto’s eyes filled with tears and panic coursed through his veins. 

Sasuke pulled his hand away, turning his back to walk away. And…he couldn’t do it.

This was the moment he had thought would be good for the both of them. And yet, he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t let Sasuke go. He lessened the distance between them and without thinking twice, hugged Sasuke’s back, wrapping his arms around his waist. 

“Don’t go,” Naruto whispered as he buried his face into his friend’s back. “Sasuke, don’t go.”

Sasuke sighed, his shoulders slumping. He didn’t make a move to face his friend, merely standing there and letting Naruto hug him. The Beta didn’t know what to say to make things better. He didn’t know how to put his thoughts into words. The fears and insecurities he had about taking this friendship and making it something more. Did he even see Sasuke the same way?

Or was he just ignoring the possibility?

“Sasuke,” Naruto whispered, holding back his breath when the Alpha finally turned around. 

He still managed to keep his arms around the waist, glancing at the space between them. 

“What?” Sasuke said, his voice quiet. When Naruto lifted his head to meet his gaze, his bottom lip wobbled just a bit. The Alpha made a pained look on his face, a pale hand reached to touch his mouth before caressing his lip. “Naruto, what?”

“I don’t know what to do,” Naruto said. “The only thing I could do is avoid you.”

Sasuke pressed his thumb over his mouth just a bit harder before he grabbed the tan hands and unwound them from his waist. Pushing him away a bit, Naruto held back his breath when the Alpha stared at him. 

“Does it make you uncomfortable that I like you?” Sasuke asked, his voice blank from any emotion. 

Naruto paused at the thought, reaching a hand to touch his own face. He opened his mouth, most likely to lie and then he stopped himself. He shouldn’t do that to Sasuke. But he didn’t know what the right answer was either. 

“I…I don’t know,” Naruto said, glancing away. “I just know that…my heart beats really fast when you said that you like me. And…I get confused.”

Sasuke nodded, gently pulling him to the couch as they both took a seat. “Why?”

Naruto blinked at the question, turning his body to face him. “Why what?”

“Why does it confuse you that I like you?” Sasuke kept a distance between them, one that Naruto appreciated so he didn’t physically combust at how flustered he got whenever he touched him. 

Naruto intertwined his own fingers and fiddled his thumbs. “I’m a Beta.”

Silence washed into the scene for what seemed like an eternity. The words left his mouth without a proper thought but now that it was out there, that was the main problem, wasn’t it? He glanced at Sasuke and looked away at the blank look on his friend’s face. 

“I don’t see why that’s a problem.” Sasuke’s reply came as a shock, startling him from his thoughts.

He snapped his head to look at the dark-haired boy properly. “I’m a Beta. You're an Alpha. You can’t like me.”

Sasuke’s left eyebrow twitched. One corner of his lips quirked upwards and Naruto recognised full well that this was his annoyed look. He began to lightly grow warm from nervousness, making sure the distance between them was still intact. 

“I’m an Alpha,” he pointed at himself. Then, he pointed at Naruto. “You’re a Beta.” He then leaned forward, eliminating some space between them that had the Beta pull back. “I _can_ like you.”

“B-But,” Naruto said, a soft noise escaped his lips when Sasuke grabbed his right hand, holding onto his fingers. 

“Do you dislike me liking you?” Sasuke asked, getting straight to the point. “Do you hate me for it?”

“No!” Naruto said, sitting up straight as he held Sasuke’s hand back, his heart skipping a beat. “No, I could never hate you, Sasuke.”

“Then, are you fine with me liking you?” Sasuke asked, slight impatience colouring his tone. 

“Uh,” Naruto mumbled, scratching the back of his head. “Sasuke…”

“Ignore your secondary gender,” Sasuke said. “Ignore my secondary gender. As one person to another, do you hate it that I like you?”

“W-Well, when we ignore that, I-I don’t,” Naruto said, voice coming out strained. “But Sasuke, we can’t ignore it!”

Sasuke raised his eyebrows. “You don’t hate it, right?” He pointed to the Beta’s chest. “Your heart flutters when I’m close?” He leaned in close, rooting the blond-haired boy in his spot. “When I look at you like this?”

Naruto squirmed a bit before he placed a hand on Sasuke’s shoulder to prevent him from coming any closer to him. Under his scrutiny, the urge to lie faded away, loosening his tongue with truth. “Yeah,” he whispered, face aflame. 

Sasuke’s lips quirked upwards again before a pale hand reached to brush his hair from his forehead. His touch had Naruto closed his eyes for a brief moment, raising his shoulders to his ears. A soft sigh escaped from the Alpha before him before his touch left his face. Naruto blinked open his eyes then. 

“Then, don't run away,” Sasuke said, his voice low but he used a tone that had Naruto melting a little inside. It was such a soft tone. One he had never heard from his friend before. “Give me a chance to show you that we can be together.”

Naruto bit his tongue, glancing away. After a moment he said, “I…don’t know, Sasuke. I don’t even know what I feel about you.”

“You can figure it out with me,” Sasuke said, gently grasping his chin to tilt his head to meet his eyes. “Believe in me.”

The last time he had said that, it had been the time he saved the Beta from the girls when he had been fifteen. And he had believed in Sasuke since then. He had never hurt him and while he irritated the hell out of him sometimes, the Alpha always made sure that they made up soon afterwards even if Naruto had acted like a brat. 

His heart skipped a beat as they looked at each other. 

“Why me?” Naruto said, reaching his own fingers to wrap around Sasuke’s wrist.

Sasuke smiled, caressing his chin. “Because you’re you.”

It was as simple as that, huh? Naruto pulled Sasuke’s hand away from his face before he held on the fingers. It was surreal at how they were here. And he was terrified. Something must’ve shown on his face because Sasuke extracted his hand away. 

“Let me try,” the Alpha said. “You don’t need to do anything but let this thing between us progress on its own pace.” 

Naruto bit his bottom lip for a moment. “I’m scared.”

Sasuke snorted a bit. “You can feel fear too?”

“Oi!” Naruto aimed a soft punch at Sasuke’s arm. In a quieter voice he said, “I’m not joking.”

“I know,” Sasuke said, placing a hand on his head. “Let me try to make you see me as a good partner for you. Just enjoy the attention, stupid.”

Naruto’s heart warmed at the smile on his best friend’s face. Could he really do that? Could he ignore the fact that they were an Alpha and a Beta duo? When Sasuke patted him, the worry faded just a tad. And he missed this. The way that Sasuke could make him breathe easier and put all his insecurities to the back of his mind. Even if it just for a while. 

At the end, the blond-haired boy could only nod. That halted Sasuke’s patting before the Alpha chuckled. 

“Ah, enough,” Naruto said, slapping his hand away from his head. “It’s tiring to avoid you anyway.”

“No one asked you to do that in the first place,” Sasuke said, drily. 

Naruto gave him a sheepish smile. He patted his stomach, standing up to head to the vending machine. Sasuke stood up as well, eyeing him carefully. 

“I’m going to the vending machine,” Naruto said, jabbing a thumb to the general direction of it. “Do you want anything?”

Sasuke hummed, shoving his hands in his pant pockets. “No, but I’ll come with you.”

The Beta beamed, grinning. And yeah…this felt good again. Even if there was a lingering thought threatening to overwhelm his mind, he kept it away from himself for now. At this very moment, he did want to believe Sasuke. 

As they got out of the room and walked down the quiet hallway to get to the stairs, he contemplated what had happened. He placed a hand on his cheek, noting that his skin was still hot. He never felt this way before and…he would be lying if being this close to Sasuke didn’t set him feeling light on his feet. 

“I’ll bring my bento tomorrow,” Sasuke said, cutting through his thoughts. “Eat that.”

“With sweet egg rolls?” Naruto questioned shamelessly, earning an eye roll from the taller boy. He chuckled, poking Sasuke’s arm. “Right?”

“Sure,” Sasuke said, sighing. As they walked up the stairs, he paused when they came to the second year floor. Ah, this was where Misaki met up with him to talk about Sasuke. He frowned just a tad before he keyed in the number to get to his melon bun. “Who’s Sai?”

Naruto bent down, picking the bun before he opened the package to take a bite of the bread. “Sai? A friend I met while I was avoiding you.”

Sasuke stared at him for a second. “He seems annoying.”

“You find everyone annoying,” Naruto said, pointing it out as he stood there to continue eating his bread. “You don’t like anyone.”

Sasuke raised his eyebrows, making the Beta flush a little under his gaze. He ignored that unspoken exception to that rule. 

“Eat slower, stupid,” Sasuke murmured as he reached a hand out to press his thumb at the corner of Naruto’s mouth. Wiping at the spot, he brought his thumb to his lips, licking it off clean. Naruto almost choked on his bread at that, eyes widening. The Alpha smirked then, tilting his head to the side in clear amusement. “That look on you is cute.”

“ _Sasuke_ ,” Naruto whispered harshly, lowering his head a tad to glare at the Alpha. “Don’t be a prick.”

“Don’t be a slob,” Sasuke countered immediately. Just as the Beta was about to retort, the taller boy said, “When’s the rehearsal for your cafe thing?”

“Oh,” Naruto said, tilting his head to one side as he searched for the date in his mind. He froze. Fuck. “It’s tomorrow.”

Sasuke leaned his shoulder against the vending machine. “In your class?”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, nodding. 

“I’m coming to see you,” Sasuke said. 

The Beta immediately shook his head, pointing a finger at the Alpha. Naruto would be more likely forced to wear the maid outfit for tailoring and the _last person_ he wanted to look at him in that was Sasuke. 

“You cannot,” Naruto said, pushing past him to jog down the stairs. 

“Why not?”

“Because!” Naruto’s face was going to be permanently hot, he decided. “Just because.” He stopped walking then, turning to face Sasuke. The Alpha stopped walking immediately. “Promise me you won’t come see me tomorrow.”

“No,” Sasuke said. 

“Sasuke, come on!” Naruto was close to stomping a foot on the floor like a child. “It’s embarrassing.” Naruto spotted a corner of his friend’s lips quirking upwards, almost as if he was amused. “Oi!”

“Idiot,” Sasuke said, lessening the distance between them. “I’m just going to look.” He gave Naruto a smile as he patted the Beta’s shoulder and walked past him. Naruto narrowed his gaze at where his friend had stood, wondering why that sounded like a goddamn lie. 

He huffed his breath and followed the Alpha, aiming a brief kick at his shin. Sasuke grunted, causing Naruto to laugh as he ran, Sasuke chasing after him.

***

“So, you and the Uchiha are back to being friends now?” Sakura said as she tied a tie on her outfit. 

Naruto swung a foot as he sat on the desk, waiting for the girls in his classroom to hand over his own costume. He paused halfway drinking his orange juice, his cheeks reddening a bit as the green eyes landed on him with eyebrows raised. 

“You noticed?” Naruto said.

“You think?” Sasuke said, deadpanned. “You two are attached by the hip.” She pinched his nose causing him to splutter. “I would’ve said good riddance. Guess I’ll save that for later.”

The words settled in his mind like a slow burn. For later. He glanced down to the ground. He didn’t know what was happening between them and he would be an actual idiot if he pretended that they were just friends. And even if Sasuke said that he didn’t want them to think about their secondary genders in this, he couldn’t forget about it. 

A soft sigh escaped his lips. 

It was then one of his classmates tapped on his shoulder, smiling as she handed him his outfit. He looked at the frilly thing, placing the costume against his chest and relieved to find that it was at least long to cover most of his thighs. He expressed his displeasure over the idea and they adjusted it to make him feel more comfortable. 

So far, high school was a much better place. 

“Go on,” Sakura said, smiling in mischief when Naruto glanced at her. He sighed as he went to the small makeshift dresser at one corner of the room. Behind the thin changing panels, he struggled his way through to wearing it. It was only when he had finished with the stockings that he realised how breezy everything felt. His legs were freer and…frankly, he felt awkward in them. 

“Naruto, are you done?” one of his classmates said. He bit his bottom lip before he walked out from the changing panel. Sakura immediately burst out laughing and he resisted the urge to throw something at her. His classmate though, bless her, simply eyed him, nodding as she jotted down something on her notebook. “Do you feel comfortable? Maybe you’d like to make the skirt longer? I can probably undo the hemming.”

Naruto’s heart warmed at her consideration and it wasn’t like he was the only boy in this dress. At the end, he waved her concerns away, awkwardly shuffling to where his best friend was snickering. Man, he wished Kiba was in this class so they could be a pair. 

“You look good, Naruto,” Sakura said, clearing his throat. 

“Shut up, Sakura,” Naruto mumbled. “You suit that manly look.”

She squawked, trying to punch him as he danced away, grinning. 

“Here,” one of his classmates then came back with a wig. A blond wig that would reach to the small of his back. He stared at it, confused. “Can you wear this for a bit? I just want to see what hairstyle would be good on you.”

Naruto shrugged. He already wore this outfit, might as well go full on. With a little bit of help, he had the wig on and girls flocked near him, trying to decide what they should do to his hair. It was then decided it would be in a high ponytail. Naruto sighed in relief once he was left alone, the wig still on him. He itched to take it out and after five minutes, he decided he would do just that. 

Neatly taking the wig and placing them on his desk, he was about to grab his orange juice again when Sakura poked him on his shoulder.

“The Uchiha’s here,” she said, making him freeze. He immediately snapped his head at the entrance where the Alpha was, hands in his pant pockets and leaning against the entrance of the door with a smirk on his face. “And why does he look deranged?”

“He doesn’t look deranged,” Naruto quickly countered. He looked…far too good looking and Naruto wanted to run. Sasuke nudged his chin, a non-verbal request for him to leave his classroom. He shook his head, taking a seat to hide his body behind the table. Sasuke rolled his eyes, standing up straighter before he walked into the classroom to stand in front of him. “Whatdya’ want, bastard?”

Sasuke raised his eyebrows. “To see you.”

Naruto flushed a little, crossing his arms against his chest. “You’re just here to make fun of me.”

The Alpha didn’t dignify that with an answer. Instead, he placed both palms on the table and leaned forward a little. “I’ll wait for you after class.”

Naruto nodded, waving Sasuke away. He stopped breathing for a second when pale fingers reached to brush a strand of hair from his forehead. Naruto froze, eyeing the taller boy as Sasuke smirked. With that, he tossed a wave and left the classroom. A few seconds of silence passed by before he realised that the whole classroom had stilled. 

When Sakura frowned, it was then everyone went back to doing what they were doing, though not without tossing a few glances at his way. Sakura looked like she wanted to say something but when Naruto dropped his gaze to the table, one hand trying to adjust his skirt while the other grabbed his orange juice box, she never spoke. 

He cursed Sasuke in his head. 

At this rate, the whole school was going to know what they were doing.

And he wasn’t sure if he would be ready for that.

***

He slapped Sasuke’s shoulder when he met him at the school entrance. “Bastard! The whole school’s going to talk!”

Sasuke winced, rubbing his arm. Naruto stared at him, waiting for a reply but all he got was a shrug from the Alpha. He sighed. He supposed that was all he would get from him. He patted his arm and started walking, Sasuke by his side. 

“Do you not want anyone to know?” Sasuke’s words halted him in his steps. 

“Well,” Naruto said, thinking over it. “It’s not that I don’t want anyone to know…” He rubbed at his nose, closing his eyes briefly. “It’s just…we aren’t together, are we? It’s…”

Being a Beta and an Alpha together was another story they needed to tackle. But people finding out that they were in this limbo? That complicated things. He mostly didn’t think it was anyone’s business. At least…not yet. He stopped himself from ruminating any further. He was getting too ahead of himself. 

Sasuke nodded, not looking offended much to the Beta’s relief. 

They silently walked to the familiar t-junction before they would separate. He glanced at the Alpha and then back at the pavement. This wasn’t an unfamiliar picture, the two friends walking home. Sometimes Naruto would chat about his day and other days, they would share quiet like this. And it was nice. 

As they came to the end of the road where they would need to separate, Naruto grabbed onto Sasuke’s shirt, holding him back from separating just yet. Patiently, the taller boy stared at him, waiting for him to speak. And for the first time since they became friends, he realised at how this person in front of him always stopped to listen when Naruto had something to say. 

And if that wasn’t a realisation that blew his mind, he didn’t know what would. 

“Wanna come over?” Naruto said, grinning. “We haven’t played video games together in a while. And Iruka did want to meet you.”

Sasuke tilted his head to one side. The usual answer to this invitation would be a ‘no’ so he was waiting for it. But this time, the Alpha only nodded, adjusting his bag over his shoulder. Naruto blinked before he beamed brightly, pulling Sasuke a tad before he let him go, skipping in his steps as he walked down the road leading to his home. 

When they reached his home, he barged into the apartment yelling for Iruka. Said man was in the kitchen, preparing for dinner when he poked his head out and smiled. Naruto waved Sasuke deeper into the home after he carelessly took his shoes off at the entrance. 

“I brought Sasuke with me!” he said. 

“Welcome,” Iruka said, moving back into the kitchen. “Would you like anything to drink, Sasuke-kun?”

“No, thank you,” Sasuke said, his tone polite. 

It was then Kakashi walked out of the room he shared with Iruka, scratching the back of his head while he had a black mask on his face. He stopped in the hallway when his silver eyes landed on them both before he dragged his gaze on Sasuke. 

“Maa,” the older man said. “Looks like we have a guest.”

“We’ll be in my room,” Naruto said, rolling his eyes at Kakashi. The older man waved him off as he disappeared into the kitchen. A second later, he heard Iruka screeching at his husband’s name, causing Naruto to crack an amused grin. He opened his bedroom door and allowed Sasuke inside. “Here.”

“Still hasn’t changed much,” Sasuke muttered as he dropped his bag at the end of the Beta’s bed. 

“What would change?” Naruto said, putting his bag on his bed before he went to the small cupboard that contained his consoles. “You were here a few months ago.”

Sasuke hummed as he took a seat with his back against the bed frame. Naruto quickly set up the game before he tossed a console at the Alpha and took a seat next to him. Turning the game on in his small television, he started a game. 

Just as he was about to start playing, Sasuke said, “You looked cute in the maid outfit.”

Naruto missed a button causing his character to die. His cheeks heated as he tossed a glare at Sasuke. “Shut up, Sasuke,” he said through gritted teeth. “Just play the game.”

Sasuke simply smirked, not one ounce of regret on his face. “I’m just saying the truth.”

For fuck’s sake. “Who knew you had that kind of mouth,” Naruto said. “What a pity girls don’t get to experience them.”

Sasuke paused in pressing a button. Naruto blinked when his friend’s character was sliced into pieces. He turned his face at the Alpha to speak only to pause when the taller boy stared back at him with a blank face. His breath hitched in his throat as a wash of dread took over him. 

“What?” he said, carefully. 

Sasuke pressed an arm on his bed before he leaned in close. This time, the blond-haired boy didn’t move away, rooted to his spot at how the distance between them lessened. A pale hand pinched his nose. Yanking his face away to rub at his spot, he glared at the Alpha. 

“Don’t say stupid things like that,” Sasuke said. 

“Like what?” Naruto said, huffing a breath. “I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

“I’m not!” Naruto said, tossing his controller to the side to properly face his friend. 

The Alpha hummed, resting his head against the side of the bed. “Then, would you mind if I did use it on girls?” 

At the very thought, he clamped his mouth shut. He jerked away when Sasuke tried to touch him, glaring at him. He knew that he was the one who said it, but he didn’t think that the idea of it thrown at his face would make him sour. Sasuke smiled then. 

“You’re the one who said that,” Sasuke said. 

“I know,” Naruto said, scratching the back of his neck. 

“I won’t,” Sasuke said, catching his attention. “It’s only for you.”

Face heated up, Naruto glanced away. Had he always been like this? Despite it, he still couldn’t hold back the warmth in his chest from spreading. His phone beeped then. Grabbing his bag, he searched through his things and got the device out. Opening his old flip phone, he noted that it was a message from Sai. Placing his arms on the bed and his chin on it, he typed a response. 

“Sai wants to meet tomorrow,” Naruto said, tossing that at Sasuke when his friend stared at him, waiting. “He’s just confirming it with me.”

“Ah,” Sasuke said. “Where are you going with him?”

“To the bookstore,” Naruto said, closing his phone and tossing it back on the bed. “He said he wanted to buy new paints. He’s really good at drawing and painting.”

“Hn,” Sasuke said. “I see.”

Naruto nodded, turning his head to lie his face one side and look at his friend. From this angle, Sasuke’s had a sharper structure, mostly at his jaw. There was just something about him that made him look good. Without thinking twice, he touched the dark hair. Sasuke’s shoulders squared at his fingers, glancing at him though not moving away. 

Naruto smiled. “Your hair always lay on your head properly. How the heck do you do that?”

Sasuke touched his wrist, gently pulling his fingers from his head. “I’m just perfect.” 

If the Alpha’s goal was to make him laugh, he definitely got it. He grinned at his friend. The air between them shifted then when Sasuke adjusted his grip on his hand, caressing his fingers. The touch sent a shiver running down his spine followed by a blooming warmth in his stomach. His grin dimmed into a smile. 

When Sasuke brought those fingers near his lips, he held his dark gaze on the blue ones as his lips pressed on them. Naruto’s eyes widened, his breath hitched in his throat. His face heated as Sasuke let his hand go, this time reaching pale fingers to brush his hair and tucking the blond locks behind his ear. As those fingers glided to his ears and then his cheek, Naruto could only lay there, closing his eyes and bury his face into the sheets. 

Then the hand settled on his hair, patting him. 

“Can I take you out?” Sasuke said, making him turn his head to look at him again. 

“Eh?” Naruto blinked. 

Sasuke met his eyes. “On a date.”

Naruto immediately sat up, losing Sasuke’s touch on him. His fingers gripped his sheets tight, face flushed as the question echoed in his mind. Nervousness and butterflies swarm in his stomach. 

“Sasuke,” he said, words being a jumbled mess in his head. “I-Isn’t that…”

“There’s a new ramen shop and we could catch a movie,” Sasuke said, cutting to the chase and perking his interest. “I’ll pay.”

“That’s not fair,” Naruto whined, face planting onto the mattress. 

“I can’t play fair,” Sasuke said, pressing his hand on his head again. Just as a weight there. “Or you’ll slip through my fingers.”

“Ah,” Naruto said, loudly as he sat up again, pointing a finger at the Alpha’s face. “Enough!”

“Is that a yes?” Sasuke crossed his arms against his chest. 

A pitiful noise escaped Naruto’s lips before he sighed, defeated. “Fine. You’re paying. You promised.”

And when Sasuke chuckled, Naruto couldn’t help but to smile.

***

He tapped his phone on his chin as he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. A date with Sasuke. He turned to lay on his side, placing his phone next to him. He grabbed an extra pillow and hugged his chest with it. Sasuke’s confession crawled into his mind again, setting his heart beating faster. Once again, he was dumbfounded why the Alpha chose him to like. How special was he to even garner such an attention? 

It was unfathomable. 

And if anyone else heard it, would they laugh in his face and say that he was being jerked around?

He sighed, sitting up. 

While Sasuke promised that they would take things on its own pace, it felt like they were skipping through so many steps. He pressed a hand on his face. And he couldn’t find in it himself to dislike it. But what would he do when he reached the finish line and had to cross to the other side?

Could he take Sasuke’s hand and enter a world he was unaccustomed to?

And while he knew the Alpha cared for him, would he be there for him when his mind became his own enemy and people questioned his taste?

For an Alpha to be with a Beta, it sounded ridiculous even to his own ears. 

A series of knocks on his bedroom door followed by Iruka popping his head in had him taking in a deep breath before releasing it. He smiled at his adoptive father, waiting for the older man to walk inside. 

“Hey,” Iruka said as he went to take a seat at the chair near his desk. 

“Hey,” Naruto said. “What can I do for ya?”

Iruka shook his head before he leaned into the chair, crossing his legs and arms. “You could’ve asked Sasuke-kun to stay for dinner.”

Naruto’s cheeks heated at the words, tucking a hair behind his ear before he hugged the pillow closer to his chest. Iruka was a Beta too, just like him. Only sans the Omega recessive gene. And he was married and mated with Kakashi, who was an Alpha. There was an example right in front of his eyes to believe that such a couple could last. 

But how did that happen? How could it last?

“Naruto?” Iruka said, catching his gaze. The smile on his face faltered before his eyebrows furrowed, worry washing over his features. He leaned forward. “What’s wrong?”

“Sasuke…” Naruto bit his bottom lip before he took in a deep breath. “Sasuke likes me. As more than a friend.”

Iruka blinked, sitting back. “Oh.” He tilted his head from one side and then to the other. “Sasuke…”

“And I…” Naruto paused, unsure of how to word it. “I don’t know how I feel about him.”

“ _Oh_ ,” Iruka said, eyes widening before a sigh escaped his lips. “Well, I’m sure you wouldn’t be looking this lost if it’s just that.”

Iruka hit the bullseye with that one. He kicked a foot up before he did the same to the other leg, humming. “How did you and Kakashi…you know, ever stay together? He’s an Alpha. You’re a Beta. Aren’t Alphas meant to be with Omegas?”

Iruka’s shoulders jumped at that. And for a brief moment, Naruto noticed the flash of insecurity in those eyes. They mirrored his own feelings. Did Iruka feel the same was as him even at that age? He bit his inner cheek from voicing that out, not wanting to make things complicated by accident. 

At the end, his adoptive father dragged the chair and placed it in front of Naruto. Taking a seat, he grabbed one of his hands and said, “They are meant to be with Omegas.” The words had him flinching. He was about to open his mouth to speak when Iruka shook his head, silencing him. “But that doesn’t mean that’s who they’ll end up with.”

Confusion bubbled within him. “What do you mean?”

“It’s complicated and it takes time for you, especially someone as young as you, to understand,” Iruka said. “But when one chooses to defy norms, they would need to be ready to accept the consequences that comes with it. In our world, that means protecting ourselves and what we believe in from people who think otherwise.”

A shiver ran down his spine at that. “Does…that mean I shouldn’t like Sasuke back?”

Iruka chuckled, shaking his head as he squeezed Naruto’s fingers. “No,” he said. “I’m just saying that if you do want to like him back, or do anything at all with him, make sure you’re ready to protect what you think is right.” Iruka smiled. “Kakashi and I went through a lot to get to where we are now. It’s not an easy path. But I believe that there’s no one else for me but him and he did too. For me.” The words bloomed hope within him. 

Naruto hugged the pillow tighter against his chest. His face heated up. “What should I do if people find out? About us?”

Iruka patted his head. “I can’t really say since I’m not you. But my best advice is to talk to your partner and come to an understanding on the next step.” After a beat he added, “Naruto, I’m here for you, okay? No matter what happens, you’re not alone.”

Naruto grinned then, the slight tension in his chest loosened. 

“Now,” Iruka said, clearing his throat. “About you and Sasuke. I know you both are teenage boys, but I sincerely believe that abstinence—”

“No, Iruka,” Naruto squeaked out, burying his face into the pillow. “I don’t even know if I like him yet!”

Iruka chuckled again, no doubt finding it amusing that he was this embarrassed. A hand patted his head again before the chair creaked. Lifting his head, he met with Iruka’s fond look, making him smile at the older man. 

“You’re still young,” he said. “Take your time to discover yourself and how you feel. And you have me and Kakashi when you need advice or help.” 

“Thank you, Iruka,” Naruto said, sincerity bleeding in his voice. 

When Iruka left his room, he was left with the realisation that reality wasn’t as black and white. While Sasuke genuinely liked him, the Beta had a lot to consider about how he felt about him to if he was ready to not be a coward and take a step away from the usual path. He wouldn’t admit it out loud but he was scared.

Scared that he might prove to not be worthy enough to fight for when ultimately people came knocking down their doors. 

He thinned his lips and stared at his bedroom floor. 

But he wouldn’t know that if he didn’t try now, would he?

He had to take a chance.

***

Naruto waited at the train station where he was supposed to meet with Sai. He hadn’t been out with anyone else besides Sakura, Kiba and Sasuke before, so this was exciting. He rocked on his feet as he waited by a pillar, occasionally checking his phone. When Sai did come by, the taller boy was panting, cheeks flushed. 

“Sorry,” Sai said, “got caught up with housework.”

Waving a hand at him, Naruto said, “No worries. We’re not late for the train. Why are we heading to the city for these paints?”

“They’re pretty expensive,” Sai said as he stood straighter, arranging his clothes. “And I’ve only ever found them in the city.”

That made sense. He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Right, well, I’ve never been to the city so I’ll follow you.” 

“I’ll be your tour guide,” Sai said, earning a chuckle from Naruto. “How have you been?”

Naruto hummed under his breath. “Good.” Sasuke’s face flashed into his mind and he smiled. “Really good.”

“And I’m guessing you’re good with the Uchiha again?” 

At the mention of his name, Naruto stiffened. He laughed nervously as his heart skipped a beat. “Well,” Naruto said, shrugging and shoving his hands in his orange hoodie pockets. “I guess we are.” 

Sai patted his right shoulder. “That’s good to hear. You look less gloomy. It takes away your charm.”

Naruto spluttered. “Man, I wasn’t gloomy." He pressed a hand over his mouth. 

“You certainly look less bright,” Sai said, smiling. 

“You have weird ways of complimenting someone.” Naruto dropped his hand to his side. 

Sai shrugged. The trip to the city took quite some time but when they reached there, he was wide-eyed looking at how more dense the crowd was here. Sai chuckled as he brought him to the bookstore where he needed to get his paints. Leaving his friend to do his thing, Naruto wandered around until he stopped by an aisle where they sold little trinkets.

There was one section where there were a few keychains, looking like they were made out of metal. One particular one had him grinning. It was a duck. A black duck, to be precise. And for some reason, that reminded him of Sasuke. Taking it, he eyed the thing before he contemplated on buying for Sasuke. Would the Alpha like it?

Well, he would claim it to be a gag gift if he didn’t. 

Though a part of him hoped he did. 

When Sai bought his things, Naruto purchased the keychain, holding it tight in his grasp before shoving it in his bag. It was then his phone rang. Taking the device out, he smiled when he realised it was Sasuke. Waving his phone at his friend, Sai simply nodded before he gestured him to follow him. 

While doing so, he answered the call. 

“Yeah?” Naruto said, callously. 

“When are you coming back?” Sasuke asked, his voice quiet. 

The Beta hummed underneath his breath. “I guess soon. Sai got what he wanted.” Just as he was about to open his mouth to tell the Alpha of the gift he bought, he heard a clatter in the background and a high pitched yell of his friend’s name. Naruto paused. “Where are you?”

“At school,” Sasuke said, a sigh escaping his lips. “The representatives of the classes are meeting up.”

Representatives. Naruto hummed once before his mind flashed back to Misaki’s face. His body stiffened then. A question roamed in his mind and following that was budding hints of bitterness. He gripped his phone tighter at that. 

“Is…” Naruto started his question before he stopped when someone called Sasuke’s name again. “You should go.”

“Call me when you come back,” Sasuke said, another sigh left his lips. 

Naruto was about to reject the request when the phone call ended. He bit his bottom lip, tapping his phone on his face twice before he closed his flip phone. Sai glanced at him before he gave him another smile, making Naruto return that with a half-hearted quirk of his lips. 

“Trouble in paradise already?” Sai asked.

“Ah, nah,” Naruto said, slapping his friend’s shoulder. “Don’t think so much. Anyway, where are we going next?”

And yet…it did trouble him.

***

“Yeah, I’m back,” Naruto said into his phone as he walked home from the station, the sky shedding into a darker coat. “Are you done with your meeting?”

“Hn,” Sasuke said. “I’m in your room.”

“Eh?” Naruto said, his heart tightening in his chest. “What? Why?”

Sasuke didn’t answer. Yet, Naruto didn’t need him too. He had an inkling and his heart skipped a beat at that. His cheeks reddened as he held his phone tighter against his ear. He ended the phone call after a quick goodbye, hastening his steps. By the time he reached home, he was panting as he had run a few blocks. It was crazy how his mind scrambled so easily when it came to Sasuke. 

Barging in, he quickly tossed a greeting at Iruka and Kakashi before he walked into his bedroom. He paused then, his throat closing off of air at the scene before him. He took a step back, unsure of what to do. On his bed was Sasuke, sleeping. His bag was tossed at the edge of the bed. 

Naruto shifted his weight from one foot to the other. From afar with just the lights from outside, Sasuke looked peaceful. His chest was raising up and down in rhythmic fashion. From afar, despite he was sleeping, he still looked…beautiful. Naruto placed a hand over his mouth. 

A part of him wanted to leave Sasuke to sleep. But the other part of him wanted to go near him and look at him sleep better. Would that be creepy?

This was the second time he had seen him sleep. First time he had the chance to properly look at him while sleeping, though.

At the end, the curious part of him won and he quietly shuffled to stand before him. Deciding to not intrude on Sasuke’s personal space, he gently went on his knees to the ground near the bed and sat there. Placing his own bag next to the Alpha’s on the floor, he folded his arms on the mattress and stared at Sasuke. His hair was a mess, some covered his left eye and Naruto itched to brush them away. He curled his fingers. That wouldn’t do. At the end, he simply sat there to commit his face into memory, his heart beating loudly against his chest. 

When Sasuke turned to lay on his side facing Naruto, the Beta froze just for a moment. And then, he relaxed, placing his chin on his hands to continue to look at him. At this close to him, he could almost imagine how it would feel like to sleep next to him. The very few times that Sasuke initiated hugs, Naruto was quick to understand that he was comfortable to hold. 

Would he be just as comfortable if they hugged each other while sleeping?

Just as the question crossed his mind, he made an embarrassed noise and pressed his face against the mattress. 

It was only when fingers grazed his head that Naruto snapped his head up and held back a scream in shock when dark eyes met his blue ones. He sat stiff, opening and closing his mouth as blood rushed to his face and ears. 

“S-Sasuke,” Naruto said. 

The Alpha looked tired. His eyes were half-open as he had a hand touching Naruto’s head. A huff of breath escaped those pink lips. “You’re here.”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, voice pitchy. He allowed the fingers to linger on his head, finding his touch nice. Sasuke only really began to touch him this way a few days ago and he was already addicted. It should scare him. And it did. And yet… “You…You’re sleeping.”

Sasuke nodded. “Sorry,” he said. “For using your bed to sleep on.”

“No, it’s fine.” Naruto pressed a hand over his face, glancing away before he flitted his gaze back at the Alpha. “You can sleep some more if you want. I can go outside.”

“Stay.” Sasuke’s voice was raspy, holding him down with just the weight of his word. After a beat, he said, “You can take a nap with me.”

Naruto’s eyes widened, staring at the boy’s face. He wasn’t joking. He knew he should reject it. Yet, he couldn’t deny it sounded nice. He fumbled out a noise that wasn’t even a response. And the strangest thing happened. Sasuke laughed. He didn’t chuckle or smirk. He laughed. His shoulders shook and his eyes squinted, mouth wide open. 

He looked so carefree and Naruto had made him laugh. 

It made him smile, his chest warming. 

“O-Okay,” Naruto whispered, causing Sasuke to quiet down. 

Then, he smiled. A pale hand stretched out, opening a space for the Beta to crawl into. He hesitated. He stood up, placing a knee on the bed before he took in a deep breath. 

“Just to sleep,” Sasuke said, almost as if he knew he was trying to calm down his nerves. 

Naruto nodded and he closed his eyes shut. He burrowed into Sasuke’s arms then. The Alpha didn’t hesitate to land a thigh over his legs and wrap his arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. His other hand was now underneath Naruto’s head, his fingers gently nudging the Beta to bury his face against his shoulder. One that he took, readily. 

They remained like that for quite some time. The warmth washing over him had him sighing a little. Sasuke didn’t do anything else just like he promised, just holding him there like a cocoon. When the grip on his body adjusted, Naruto really felt protected and blanketed by Sasuke. As if nothing and no one could ever touch him and he liked it. He closed his eyes shut and tightened his grip on the taller boy, hoping he created the same feeling. 

His heart beat loudly before he took in a deep breath. While he couldn’t really scent Sasuke, he did detect a faint hint of mints. He didn’t know if that was Sasuke’s scent or his body wash but whatever it was, he liked it. 

A hand reached the back of his head and ran his fingers through his blond hair, further relaxing Naruto. 

After a few seconds of silence, Sasuke finally spoke, though his voice was barely above a whisper and it was against his ear, causing Naruto to fist the Alpha’s back. “Did you have a good time today?”

“It was okay,” Naruto whispered back. “How did the meeting go?”

“Hn,” Sasuke said. 

He supposed it had been okay too. Just the thought of the meeting brought back the familiar question that had been bothering him all day. He opened his mouth to ask when Sasuke beat him to it with another query. 

“Still okay for ramen and movie for our date?” Sasuke asked, voice slow. 

Naruto squared his shoulders though he quickly let go of the posture when Sasuke tightened his grip on his body. He shrugged, not really minding them. He wasn’t brave enough to say that he was fine as long as it was where Sasuke was, though. So, he buried his face deeper into Sasuke’s neck, heat colouring every inch of his body. 

“Naruto?” Sasuke said. 

“Yeah, it’s fine” Naruto murmured. 

He decided to shelf the question about Misaki to the back of his head for now. Not when they were talking about their date. Their _date_. He squirmed a little, pulling away to land his head on the pillow and look at Sasuke. His breath hitched in his throat when their noses met. Sasuke searched his face before he removed his hand and hovered his palm close to his face. 

He wanted it. 

He wanted his touch on him. Even if he didn’t know what this really meant. Touching the pale wrist, he brought Sasuke’s hand onto his face. Sasuke framed his fingers until they were softly brushing his skin. In this quiet between them, there was nothing but this serenity. And the calmness that he didn’t think was possible. 

“This Saturday then,” Sasuke said, his thumb continuing to make circles on his heated skin. 

Naruto nodded, tightening his grip on his wrist. He would take a chance and see where this thing would take them. When Sasuke gathered him close again, Naruto didn’t hesitate this time to hug him back.

***

“Dude,” Kiba said as he slung an arm across his shoulders as they walked down the hallway. “Hinata really liked the date. I’m glad because if I blew that up…”

“You guys have been dating for a year now,” Naruto said, grinning. “Shouldn’t you know what her perfect date is for you guys’ anniversary?”

Kiba slapped the back of his head. That earned him a well rounded kick from Naruto. They playfully started aiming kicks at each other before they conceded defeat, continuing to walk to the vending machine at the staircase leading to the second floor. He beamed when the melon bun was still stocked up. It was a pity no one really utilised the machine but at least he never ran out of melon bun. Grabbing one, he opened the plastic and munched on the bread, waiting for Kiba to pick his food.

“Hey,” Naruto said. “You wanna head to the abandoned staircase?”

Kiba raised an eyebrow. “We have that here?”

Naruto gestured at him to follow him. He jogged down the hallway, making sure to take a certain corner to head to the staircase. “It should be…” His voice trailed off when his eyes landed on two people. 

Ah, it was Sasuke. And Misaki. They were talking to each other outside of what seemed like the teacher’s lounge. 

Misaki was leaning close to him, speaking animatedly. If last time he had seen them it struck a chord in his chest, this time it was a full blown wave of…irritation and bitterness. It had him wanting to step between them and push her away. He wanted to pull Sasuke to his side. When Misaki touched Sasuke’s arm, he took a step back. 

He hated what he was seeing. 

“Oi,” Kiba said as he pressed a hand on his shoulder. “Looks like the rumours might be true.”

“Rumours?” Naruto said, frowning. 

“Yeah,” Kiba said. “Heard there’s a senior in love with the Uchiha and they’ve been hanging out together a lot.” His best friend grinned. “Who knows? Maybe he’ll fall for her. She is cute.”

“Right.” She was cute. She was also bubbly and was all around a bright shining sun. But Sasuke said he liked him. Not her. Even so…that didn’t alleviate the childish jealousy he felt.

_Jealousy_.

A strangled gasp escaped his lips then. 

That was the word he was looking for to label this acidic feeling in his chest every time he saw Misaki near Sasuke. 

_Jealousy_. 

Pressing a palm over his face, he took in a deep breath, trying to come back down from the metaphorical cold water splashed over him. When Kiba squeezed his shoulder catching his attention, his best friend said, “Let’s go bug them.”

“What—”

Before Naruto could object, Kiba left him standing there to holler a hello at Sasuke and Misaki. Both pair of eyes landed on him before darker pair of the two slid past him to meet Naruto’s gaze. His feet stayed rooted on the ground before he glanced down and gathered every single fibre within him to fake a smile. He jogged up to his best friend. 

“Oh, hello!” Misaki said, smiling. Her navy blue eyes met Naruto’s lighter shade of blue. “Naruto-kun!”

“Misaki-chan,” Naruto said, returning her greeting with what he hoped was the same level of enthusiastic tone. “What…What’s going on?”

“Oh, we’re just meeting up to catch up on what our classes are up to for the festival,” she said. She _still_ had her hand on Sasuke’s arm. “Oh. I also got Uchiha-kun this.” There she dangled a familiar duck keychain. Only this one was in white. Naruto’s heart stopped beating for a second. “Saw this while out buying supplies for the festival. Doesn’t it remind you of him?”

Kiba barked out laughing. “A duck? Totally does!”

Naruto gave our a weak laugh, looking at Sasuke in the eyes before he glanced away. “That’s nice,” he said. “Ah, I just realised I need to do something.” He slapped Kiba’s back and tossed a grin he didn’t feel at the two other people. “See you.”

He didn’t know where he was going, just that he needed to go before he said something that he would regret. He shouldn’t be this mad. Sasuke was still his closest friend and even though the thing between them was changing, he hadn’t accepted the reality that they would be anything more. If Sasuke decided in between that there was someone else better for him, then Naruto had no right to stand in the way.

Not even if he liked him. 

Naruto halted in his steps as he came across the literature room as realisation dawned on him once more like a bucket of cold water. His breathing came out shallow as his fingers shook. Liked him. Naruto liked him. He pushed open the door and walked inside, sliding it closed before he leaned against it. 

Because that was what was happening, wasn’t it?

He liked Sasuke. 

As more than a friend. 

It wasn’t because he was scared that Sasuke was going to be taken away and he would be left abandoned as a friend. No, Naruto wanted him back. 

And that terrified him. 

He walked to the couch and sat down, sighing as he pulled his legs to his chest. Taking out the keychain of the black duck, he looked at it. Pathetic. How could he think Sasuke would like something like this? He clenched it tight in his hand and brought it to his chest. Really, what a coincidence that she managed to get something similar and yet make it far more interesting than he ever could. 

For the umpteenth time since this thing between them got weird, he wondered if he was the right choice. 

The answer was all too obvious. 

As if he had summoned the very boy he didn’t want to see at the moment, the door to the literature room slid open and Sasuke walked in. He was silent as he shut the door, footsteps echoing in the room until he stood before him. Naruto kept his eyes resolutely on the floor, mind disarray with self doubts and lingering irritation from what he had seen. 

With the keychain now imprinted in his palm and out of sight, he felt foolish. 

Sasuke shifted until he crouched down, both arms on either side of the blond-haired boy’s body. Naruto tensed for a brief moment before he curled his legs closer to his body. Sasuke’s eyes met his blue ones and he held it there without saying anything else. 

But the silence was merely a reminder that he was now trapped. 

He placed his feet on the ground, causing Sasuke to shift slightly. He was about to stand up when the Alpha gently pushed him back to sit down, eyeing him. 

“Sasuke,” Naruto said, unamused. 

The Alpha didn’t answer him. It was then his gaze landed on his right fist. Shoulders squaring, he brought his hand to his side, hiding it almost from view. That was more than enough for the Alpha to lean forward slightly and touch said hand. Tensing further, the Beta pulled his hand away from his grasp. 

“No,” Naruto said, reading the question and curiosity on his friend’s face. Embarrassed, he tried to shove the keychain into his pockets. Only, Sasuke was faster and he plucked it right between his fingers before he could do that. He immediately tried to grab it back but the Alpha leaned away, putting distance between them. “Sasuke!”

The Alpha dangled the keychain in front of his eyes. Defeated, Naruto pulled back to lean against the couch, a pout forming on his lips. Dark eyes examined the keychain. 

“Give it back,” Naruto said, voice weaker. “It’s not for you.”

“No?” Sasuke said, his voice careful as he met the blue eyes again. 

“No,” Naruto said, though the lie must’ve shown on his face because Sasuke leaned forward again. “Sasuke, give it back.”

“Who’s it for?” Sasuke said, ignoring his pleas. 

Naruto clamped his lips closed, eyeing the ground. Why couldn’t the Alpha let it go? 

“No one,” the Beta said. “I bought if for myself.”

Sasuke raised his eyebrows, looking like he didn’t believe him. “Hn.”

Irritation bloomed in him as he leaned forward and tried to snatch the keychain from his hands again. Sasuke stood up, this time taking a few steps back before he sat at the edge of the table before them, still dangling the keychain between his fingers. 

“Sasuke—”

“I like it,” Sasuke said. “I’m taking it.”

Naruto paused in his words, his mind momentarily blanked. “What?” 

“I’m taking it.” Sasuke shook the keychain to make a point. 

“But,” Naruto said, his fight leaving his body as Misaki’s face flashed in his mind. “Misaki-chan gave you one…”

Sasuke hummed, caressing the keychain. “You bought it for me.” 

It was a statement rather than a question, one that had the Beta scratching the back of his neck as his face heated. He didn’t confirm nor deny it though, huffing as he crossed his arms against his chest. 

“Misaki-chan’s better,” he murmured, bitterness leaking into his words. 

“I don’t care.” Sasuke lessened the distance between them before he took a seat next to him. He leaned forward with his forearms on his thighs until he could catch Naruto’s gaze. “I like this better.”

Naruto bit his bottom lip, the tightness in his chest loosening a tad. He curled his fingers into fist, completely aware now that they were just a few inches away from their shoulders brushing. And this close, he could almost feel the other boy’s warmth. The time they shared a bed, hugging each other crossed his mind. His heart skipped a beat followed by a bloom of affection. 

He liked Sasuke. 

Even if he wasn’t the right choice. 

“Misaki-chan…really likes you, huh?” Naruto said, voice quiet. 

Sasuke made a small noise under his breath. “I really like you.”

And just like that, his irritation melted away. It was as if the reminder out from Sasuke’s own mouth was enough for him. His ears burned and instead of the original reaction to run away, his body relaxed, melting into the couch. 

“When did you buy this?” Sasuke asked. 

“When I was out with Sai.” Naruto glanced at him before he gave him a weak smile. 

A hand reached to pat his head twice before it remained there, a comforting weight that he wasn’t alone. And that pang of realisation had him wanting to hold onto this feeling tight and not let it go. He wanted to hold Sasuke tight and not let him go. 

And how scary was that?

When Sasuke waited for him after school at the entrance, Naruto saw the black duck keychain hanging by his bag’s zipper.

Naruto grinned, heart fluttering in his chest at the casual display of Sasuke choosing him. 

And he was sure Sasuke realised it too when the corner of his lips quirked upwards when their eyes met.

***

The festival day was loud and chaotic. His classroom had been rearranged to create a cafe with chairs and seats, decorated with colour paper on the walls, balloons and air now filled with sweet smell of cakes and coffee. Naruto sighed as he waited at a makeshift area to create the ‘backroom’ of the store, staring at himself in the small mirror he was holding up. The wig created large bangs on his forehead, framing his face far more femininely. 

It took him a while to get over how he looked in the maid dress. When he did open his mind to it and stared at himself in the mirror, he realised that he indeed looked quite good in an outfit like this. Still, the thought of going outside was embarrassing. The only comfort he held onto was the fact that he wasn’t the only one dressed like this. 

“Naruto,” one of his classmates said, walking into the small area. “You’re needed out there. Your shift starts now.”

“Coming,” he said, sighing as he tossed the mirror onto the chair and walked out, grabbing a menu and a notepad with pen from his classmate. He froze the second he saw the bustling area full of other people. “Ah man…”

A group of girls gestured him over from one of the table. When he reached there, they giggled and blushed, ordering tea and strawberry cakes. Naruto could only give them amused smiles as he went to carry out their order. All in all, it wasn’t such a bad event. He had thought he would be made fun of but everyone so far had taken it at face value. 

Things only started going slightly sideways when he went to wait a table of three boys. They were flashy with piercings on their ears and coloured hair. For a brief moment, he questioned if they even went here. One of the boy with clearly contact-lens purple eyes met his blue ones before a smile carved on his lips. 

“Hey, what can I get you three?” Naruto asked as he handed the menu to them. 

“How about your number?” the boy said, startling him with his request. The Beta tilted his head to one side, blinking. “What do you say?”

“What? No, man,” Naruto said as he pointed at himself. “I’m a guy.”

The purple-eyed man placed his chin on his palm, leaning forward and continued to smile. “I know,” he said. “You don’t look too bad in that dress. I think I can date you.”

Naruto raised his eyebrows, his grip on his notebook and pen tightening in slight irritation. “Man, do you want to order anything or not?”

When one of the boys tossed an order, Naruto took that and left the table, sending someone else to deal with the menace. He might stay out of trouble but even had his own temper. He sighed as his phone beeped from his pockets. He took it out, thankful that someone sewed a pocket for him and opened his flip phone. 

Sasuke.

‘ _I’m done with my haunted house shift. Coming to your classroom._ ’

Naruto panicked, glancing at his clothes before back at his message. He managed to escape from Sasuke’s scrutiny with the maid outfit last time. He didn’t want him to see him this way. Trying to type a message, his ears burned when someone yelled out the Uchiha’s name from next to him. Deciding to take refuge, he walked into the makeshift backroom and took a seat, holding his phone tight on his lap. 

He held his breath, waiting for someone to come for him when Sasuke got there. But when no one came to fetch him, the bated breath turned into a confused sigh. Scratching the back of his neck, he was about to stand up when someone walked into the room. He took a step back and ended up tripping and falling back on the chair when Sasuke stood at the entrance. 

“Hiding?” Sasuke said, the corners of his lips quirked upwards in poorly concealed amusement. Well, not even concealing it. Naruto’s cheeks reddened as he sat stiff. Those dark eyes slid from his face to the maid outfit, taking a step towards him. “Stand up.”

“No.” Naruto would rather die. He placed a hand over his skirt, almost feeling like he was naked. 

And he burned hotter at that. He immediately thrashed the image he had in his mind. They were far too in early stages to even think about stuff like that. Sasuke, however, found that his rejection to be more of a motivation than anything else. Lessening the distance between them until he was just standing a foot away, the Alpha handed out his hand. 

Naruto stared at the fingers like they were about to bite him. 

“I already saw you,” Sasuke said, catching his gaze. “Just stand up.”

He had a point. Naruto contemplated on it a few more seconds before he tossed his head back and sighed loudly. He slapped Sasuke’s hand away and stood up at last, crossing his arms against his chest even though he wanted nothing more but to melt into a pile of embarrassed goo. 

“You happy now?” Naruto gripped as he dropped his hands to his side. Sasuke eyed him before he shrugged, the smirk still on his face. “What?”

“It looks good on you.” Sasuke’s words only made him want to kick something. 

“Uzumaki-kun!” his classmate walked in. “Table 3 wants you!”

“Coming!” Naruto slapped Sasuke’s arm, about to leave when pale fingers grasped his wrist, halting him. He snapped his head to look at him, breath hitching in his throat when the Alpha stared at him. “What—”

Sasuke tightened his grip on his wrist a fraction more before he let him go and shook his head. “Just be quickly done with your shift.”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “Me too, man.”

He exited the backroom, already resisting the urge to scowl when Table 3 were those three boys. His classmate handed him plates of strawberry shortcake and tea. He wandered to their table and gently handed them their orders before nodding. He was about to leave when the boy with purple contacts stood up and grabbed his wrist, halting him. 

Naruto sighed under his breath, turning to look at him. “What?”

“Can we talk after you’re done with your shift?” 

The Beta gently extracted his hand from the grip before he said, “Nah. I have nothing to say to you.” 

He gave him a mocking wave before he was called to Table 6. This time, he was far less antsy when it was Sasuke. He stood in front of him, taking out his notebook and pen. He was about to speak when the Alpha raised a hand to brush against his wrist, the same spot where the other boy had touched him. His heart skipped a beat and on reflex, he yanked himself away from the taller boy. 

Sasuke froze. 

And in conjunction, Naruto did too. 

Fuck. 

He knew immediately that he messed up when his best friend’s face stuttered closed, a blank mask covering his features. He tried to speak but all that came out of his mouth were garbled nonsense. He clenched his pen tight in his fist, guilt colouring his chest. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Sasuke touching him, it was that they were in public. He still hadn’t accepted what would happen if they were out and about. 

He wasn’t even sure if he could be with Sasuke like that. Even if he did like him. 

“I’ll go get your order,” Naruto said under his breath as he rushed to hand over the order to someone else. Thankfully, Sasuke remained there when he came back with the plate of cake. And he stayed there even when Naruto was done with his shift. By the time he was let free, he changed into his uniform and grabbed his bag, moving to where Sasuke was. “Hey.”

The Alpha looked up from his phone that he had been occupying himself with and met his eyes. He nodded, standing up. “Let’s go,” Sasuke said, though there was an odd tone in his voice that had Naruto’s heart clenching tight in his chest. 

Fuck, he really did mess up. 

They walked silently next to each other. Sasuke had his hands in his pant pockets and he was staring at nothing, almost like he was in a deep thought. Naruto didn’t have much to say, either. He wouldn't know how to begin explaining himself so he didn’t try. 

As he walked past an empty room, he stopped. The Alpha continued to walk a few more steps before he stopped walking as well, turning to look at him with the same monotonous mask from before. Naruto was quickly learning that he hated that look on him. 

“I’m going to buy something from the vending machine,” he said. “I’ll meet you at the literature room in five?”

Sasuke searched his face before he nodded, turning around and walking away without another word. Naruto bit his bottom lip, shaking his head. Whatever. He could use this time to decide on what to do. 

He grumbled underneath his breath as he got himself a box of orange juice. Maybe he should get something for Sasuke as well. As a nonverbal apology. And then he didn’t know what to get. What did Sasuke like? He blinked, staring at the vending machine. 

What _did_ Sasuke like?

He wrecked his brain trying to find the pieces of information he had gathered over the years but through the sifting, all he got was that he didn’t even know the basics of the person he liked. Of his best friend. He didn’t know what food he liked, what colour he liked, what he liked to do during his free time—besides knowing that he had an older brother and that his future was set from get go, he didn’t know anything else about Sasuke. 

And here Naruto was acting as if he liked him. 

His heart ached in his chest as he took in a deep breath. 

Going back to the hallway, his mind muddled around with this realisation. He liked Sasuke. But he didn’t know the first thing about him. Tapping the cool box against his lips, he furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. Had he been this selfish that he didn’t even bother to properly understand Sasuke?

He had to rectify that. 

He had to.

He raised his gaze when he was a few steps away from the literature room only to stop dead in his tracks at what was happening in front of him. Misaki was here, talking to Sasuke again. But it didn’t seem like the conversation was going fine. He wasn’t too far away, the conversation clear as day to him. 

“I like you,” Misaki said. Naruto couldn’t see Sasuke’s face since his back was facing him. But his heart clenched again regardless at the words he dreaded to hear. “Please go out with me.”

“I can’t.” Sasuke’s rejection came swift and it startled even him. Her eyes filled with tears as she took a step towards him, placing a hand on his arm. 

“I heard you don’t have anyone,” she said. “I asked around. You’re single, aren't you?”

“I’m not interested.” Sasuke took her hand and dropped it to her side. 

“Why not?”

Sasuke took a step back. “That’s none of your business.”

“If it’s because we don’t know each other,” she said, stuttering though her words. “I’ll get to know you. I’ll pay attention to you. You’ll be my only one. I’ll be a good girlfriend.” And Naruto’s eyes widened when she said, “I also heard you’re sensitive with heats and the smell of Omegas. I’m taking suppressants. I promise it’ll be comfortable with me.”

How did she know about that? He tightened his grip on his orange juice box. Right. Suppressants. Omegas and Alphas could be put on suppressants if they wanted. He had heard it reduced the smell of their scent and eliminated their heats and ruts to a certain amount a year. 

And a strange thought settled in his mind. 

If Omegas could do that for Sasuke, then he wouldn’t have a hard time dating one, right? 

It was far more acceptable to be with an Omega than a fucked up Beta like him. 

“I like someone else,” Sasuke said, pushing her away. “And I won’t betray them by choosing an Omega over them.”

Naruto’s heart almost stopped beating, his eyes warming. 

“What…” Misaki said, eyes wide. “Who?”

“I can’t return your feelings or date you,” Sasuke said, not answering her. “I’m in the process of courting them and I’d like to be left alone from now on.”

“But, Uchiha-kun!” Misaki said. “Are they an Omega like me? I—”

“You don’t need to know.” Sasuke’s words were sharp enough that she startled into silence. “And I hope you don’t put your nose where you don’t belong.”

Yet…despite what was ‘easiest’ or ‘normal’, Sasuke chose him over and over again. Through his words and through his actions. Overwhelmed, he turned around and walked away, needing some space to breathe. 

He found the abandoned staircase and took a seat. Taking in a deep breath, he sipped his orange juice, calming his racing heart and mind. Sasuke was patient with him. He really was. And even when he had slapped his touch away so harshly, the Alpha still wanted to be with him. Could he even be a good…lover to him?

His cheeks burned at the thoughts but he felt like they were valid worries. 

If…he decided to try this with Sasuke, would he be ready to go out and carry on without remorse? Would Sasuke?

He clenched on the box tight. 

Firstly, he would need to find out more about Sasuke before he decided on anything else. At least, get to know him better. And then…

And then he would decide. 

“Ah, you’re here?” a voice said, catching his attention. His breath hitched in his throat when he realised it was the boy from the cafe. The one with purple eyes. “I didn’t think you knew about this place.”

Naruto shrugged, standing up. “I’ll leave you to it then.”

His wrist was grabbed the second he tried to walk past him, gently pushed to sit before the boy crouched before him. The Beta stared at him, resisting the urge to kick him. He didn’t know what this guy was looking for but Naruto didn’t like him. He tried to pull his wrist away, stopping only when the grip tightened. 

“Hey, I like you,” the guy said, smiling. “Go out with me.”

“I’m not interested,” Naruto said, flatly. “Go bother someone else.”

“Come on,” the boy said, scooting closer. Naruto leaned back, pressing a foot on the other boy’s knee and was holding back from pushing him. The boy glanced at his feet before a smirk crawled on his face. “I’ll take care of you. I’m an Alpha.”

Naruto’s breath hitched in his throat, eyes widening. An Alpha? He yanked his wrist away and kicked the boy. A yelp escaped the boy’s lip as he landed on the ground on his back. Before he could say anything else, Sasuke appeared from the corner. 

Sasuke stood there, his eyebrows furrowed. He glared down at the boy on the ground before his gaze dragged and landed on Naruto. It took a few seconds before he understood the situation and he stood up, shaking his head. 

“It isn’t what it looks like!” Naruto said, loudly. His heart raced against his chest. A desperate feeling crawled and settled in his chest. “It isn’t—”

“Ah, what? You’re taken?” the boy said, sitting up as he scratched the back of his head. 

“Get lost,” Sasuke said, his words void of emotion. 

The boy wasn’t given a chance to do as said because the Alpha moved to grab Naruto’s wrist and dragged him away from there. He made a surprised noise under his breath. The Alpha brought him to the literature room, this time, void of Misaki. When he pushed Naruto inside, the Beta stumbled back a few steps before he righted himself up.

“Oi, asshole!” Naruto said, placing his box of orange juice on the table. “What—”

His words died in his throat when he saw Sasuke leaned against the door, a hand pressed on his face. Silence washed into the scene. He curled his fingers into fists, wondering what was happening. He took a small steps back only to stop when Sasuke placed a hand outward. 

“Don’t,” Sasuke said, his voice low. “Give me a second.”

Naruto waited. His heart skipped a beat when the Alpha thumped the back of his head against the door, eyeing him from across the room. He swallowed past his dry throat, unsure of what to do. 

“Are you okay?” Sasuke asked. When Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, the Alpha touched his own wrist. 

“Ah, I’m fine,” Naruto said, wrapping his fingers on his own hand. “Are _you_ okay?”

“No.” The words were sharp enough that had him taking a small step back. “You let him touch you.”

Naruto bit his inner cheek, furrowing his eyebrows. After a moment of silence, he said, “I didn’t. I kicked him.”

“You didn’t immediately push him away like you did with me,” Sasuke said, his voice coming out low. 

Naruto took in a sharp breath. There was an underlying tone of—hurt in his voice that had him squaring his shoulders. And instead of explaining things, his first reaction was to be defensive. Which had always never ended well. Even now. 

“What does that supposed to mean?” Naruto said.

Sasuke stood straighter. “You don’t like me touching you.”

“You didn’t push Misaki-chan’s touch from you either,” he said. The second the words were out of his mouth, he cursed himself. Especially when Sasuke narrowed his eyes. 

“Are you serious?” Sasuke said, voice tight. 

Slight irritation sparked within him at that. “I’m not always joking, Sasuke.”

A sigh escaped the Alpha’s lips. “I already told you that the one I like is you.” He took a step towards him. “You on the other hand don’t like me that way.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” Naruto said, loudly. 

“Then what am I supposed to think?” Sasuke said. “You let him touch you and you didn’t push him away so quickly like you did to me. He’s an Alpha too.” 

“You’re the one being stupid,” Naruto said. 

Sasuke lessened the distance between them before he grasped Naruto’s face. Again, his first instinct had him pulling away. The silence that flooded the scene at the action had him biting his bottom lip. 

“See?” Sasuke said, his face flushing from what Naruto thought was anger. 

“I told you to stop doing things like that in public,” Naruto said.

“But you wouldn’t mind if it’s someone else.”

“You didn’t push Misaki-chan either,” Naruto said, aware that he was being unfair. “You let her cling onto you like— You said you dislike Omegas and yet you seem just fine with her! You said you like me and yet you seem fine with her.” 

Sasuke’s breath hitched in his throat. 

“Fuck,” Naruto said as he took in a deep breath. “I…”

“You got jealous,” Sasuke said. 

Naruto made a strangled noise as he pressed his hands to his face, taking in deep breaths. He couldn’t even deny it even if he wanted to. When Sasuke tried to touch his face, he simply slapped his hands away, though not as harshly and more so half-heartedly. Sasuke dropped his hands to his sides. 

“I rejected her,” he said. “She confessed and I rejected her.” 

Naruto nodded, looking at him through the gaps of his fingers. “I know. I heard.” After a beat he said, “I kicked him. And the reason why my first instinct is to back away is not because I hate your touch.” He shifted his weight from one touch to the other. “I’m more aware of you now than anyone else.”

Sasuke grabbed his face then, pushing his hands away. The Alpha searched his face. “What do you mean?”

Naruto’s heart skipped a beat, this time allowing his touch on his face to remain. He sighed shakily as he brought his hands to grip Sasuke’s shirt on his sides. Was he going to say it?

Did he want to say it?

“I…” Naruto whispered. “Can’t you figure it out?”

Surprisingly, Sasuke chuckled. “I’m not a mind reader, idiot.”

“Bastard,” the Beta said before he hung his head. He closed his eyes shut. 

He wasn’t sure if he was brave to say the words. They meant a lot to him and it had only been a couple of days since he realised of them. But how long was he going to remain in this denial while girls like Misaki came to talk to Sasuke?

What if he did lose him?

He bit his bottom lip. While rationally he knew that those girls would be a better choice than him, Naruto didn't want to let him go. 

Making a brief noise under his breath, he gathered every ounce of courage within him and said, “I like you too.”

He was about to push Sasuke away when the Alpha pulled his face until their eyes met. His skin heated as they stared at each other, not making a move and yet so close to each other that if one swayed, their lips would touch. 

And if that wasn’t a curious idea to test out. 

The look on his best friend’s then had been something remarkable. For the first time ever, Naruto saw a face that hadn’t held onto any masks. Emotions of what he could only imagine as affection and kindness roamed in those eyes. His heart beat loudly when the hands on his face adjusted their grip, thumbs caressing his cheeks. 

Tightening his grip on the side of his body, Naruto waited for something to happen. 

“Say it again,” Sasuke said. 

His voice had also been the quietest for the first time ever, as if he was in awe. 

Naruto was the one who had done that to him. 

He made a soft noise from the back of his throat, trying to look away but the Alpha kept his face tilted up just a tad. There was something on that face that made him compel to follow through what he wanted. 

With his heart no longer aching and his mind blanking, he said, “I like you.”

It was then Sasuke’s lips met his, pressing them against his in a brief, chaste moment. Naruto closed his eyes shut, pressing himself back into Sasuke. 

When they broke apart, it was to a flushing face of his best friend and a smile on his face. 

Naruto was sure he had a similar look on his face.

***

They walked home without uttering a single word to each other. It was evening and the sky was about to turn dark in a couple of hours. When breeze caressed his face, Naruto couldn’t help but to smile. He glanced at the Alpha and back down to the pavement. His chest was still warm from what had happened. He pressed a finger on his lips. 

His first kiss had tasted like tea and cakes. 

It was wildly different to how he imagined him to lose his first kiss but here he was. He had confessed to Sasuke and they kissed but that was about it. After that, they spent a couple of minutes just hugging each other. The Alpha had been silent since then. 

At they reached the t-junction, they stopped walking. Naruto shifted his weight from one foot to the other, taking in a deep breath. A strange sensation tugged at his heart. He didn’t want to walk away. Not yet. 

They stood in front of each other, silence becoming their closest companion. He didn’t think that there would be a day where he would come to be so speechless and out of words. 

“Saturday,” Sasuke said, catching his attention. “Our date. Do you want me to pick you up?”

Naruto couldn’t help the sheepish smile on his face.

Right, they had a date to get to. A _date_. 

The giddiness he felt with the overwhelming, numbing fear paralysed him from answering. He gripped a hand on the strap of his bag laying on his shoulder, opening and closing his mouth before he gathered his courage and shook his head. 

“I’ll meet you at the bookstore,” Naruto said, smiling a bit easier now. 

He had confessed to Sasuke. He couldn’t back down now. 

He would just need to know about him slowly through this tentative dance that they were doing. 

Sasuke smiled.

***

“What I like to eat?” Sasuke asked as they walked side by side down the pavement. 

Naruto nodded. It was the day of their date and he would be lying if he said he had slept a wink last night waiting for the day to dawn. Iruka had been in shock when he saw him up and about, sending him off with a hug tight and a wish of luck. And when he had seen Sasuke walking up to him with those eyes that he hadn’t ever realised had been looking at him with such softness—the decision he had taken sounded right. 

But he had steps in his plan and he swore he would try his best. 

Starting from asking Sasuke questions about what he liked and disliked. 

“Not ramen,” Sasuke said, earning a slap on his shoulder. He smirked when Naruto rolled his eyes. 

“Be serious,” the blond-haired boy whined. “Come on, asshole! What do you like to eat?”

Sasuke tilted his head to the side a bit before he said, “Tomatoes.”

“Tomatoes?” Naruto said, scrunching his nose. A fruit, really? He scratched his right ear. Sasuke had weird taste, didn’t he? He couldn’t help but to snicker under his breath. “Why?”

“Just like why you like ramen,” Sasuke said, poking at the side of his face and pushing him away a bit, earning a disbelieved squawk. 

“Ramen is comfort food!” Naruto said, rubbing his temple. “Can’t say the same about tomatoes.”

“Same for your ramen,” Sasuke said, keeping the smirk on his face when Naruto pouted. 

“Fine, bastard,” the Beta said. “What about your favourite colour?”

Sasuke shrugged. “Anything but orange.”

“Oi,” Naruto said, narrowing his eyes. “Are you going to continue to insult me?”

Sasuke huffed an amused breath. “Depends. Are you going to keep asking elementary questions?”

Naruto kicked an imaginary stone. He just wanted to know more about his so called best friend. And whatever else he was. Something must’ve changed on his face because Sasuke poked his head, catching his eyes. 

“I like to read and I like quiet spaces more than crowded areas. I dislike Omegas and I tolerate Alphas though I sometimes wish to punch one. I like the business I’m about to take over.” Sasuke took a step towards him, halting Naruto in his spot. “And I like a Beta who’s both stupid and endearing at the same time.”

“Now, that last one is unnecessary,” Naruto said, cheeks heating up. Cautiously, he glanced around to see if anyone else was looking at them. 

Sasuke shrugged. “It’s the truth.”

When a pale hand tried to touch his face, Naruto laughed nervously, taking a step back. It was a clear sign that Sasuke needed to reign back his advances in public. One that the Alpha did, dropping his hand to his side. 

“Let’s go, we’re going to be late for the movie,” Naruto said, smiling at him to lessen the blow. 

Sasuke nodded but he didn’t look offended. And the Beta could only be thankful about that. It was a shame that he was still stuck in this box society had placed him in but it was hard to break through. He didn’t know how to act himself. He didn’t know how far he could accept this without getting scared. 

How long could he exercise his friend’s patience before he got tired and left?

A shiver ran down his spine at the thought before he tossed them aside. They wouldn’t help now. Not when he promised himself to see where this would go even if he didn’t want to label anything between them. 

Even if it took a while. 

The movie was nice, or Naruto thought it was. But when the Alpha didn’t look amused as they exited the movie theatre, he made a note in his head that romance movies weren’t his thing. He chuckled, poking the Alpha’s arm. 

“That was nice,” he said, gauging Sasuke’s expression. 

And just as he suspected, his eyebrows furrowed before a small frown crossed his lips. And then, the features smoothed out. “Hn.”

“You didn’t like it?” Naruto questioned.

“It was okay,” Sasuke said as he gestured at Naruto to walk with him. 

“You hate it,” Naruto said, a bit gleeful when Sasuke sighed under his breath. 

A few seconds later, Sasuke smirked and said, “You’re really trying, aren’t you?”

“What?” Naruto blinked. 

“Trying to get to know me.” 

Caught in his plan, his cheeks reddened as he glanced away. “Well,” Naruto said, sighing as he tilted his head back to the sky. “I don’t know much about you, now do I? I call you my best friend but…I don’t even know what’s your favourite book to read.”

Sasuke stopped walking, turning to face him with his hands in his jacket pockets. “You can learn about me slowly.”

Naruto tilted his head to eye him. There was a question there. A question that needed an answer. He just hoped he was reading the question right. “Before we get ramen, do you want to grab some ice-cream?” 

Sasuke shrugged and the Beta took that as a ‘yes’. Surprisingly. He had thought the Alpha would object to that unhealthy habit. When they had gotten a cup of vanilla for Sasuke and a cup of chocolate and mint for Naruto, they wandered to the park, finding an empty bench to sit on. It was less crowded here, strangely for a weekend. But he liked it that way. As he savoured the sweet taste of his dessert, he thought about how this thing between them was going to be. 

“I’m scared,” Naruto said. 

Sasuke paused mid-way lifting his spoon of ice-cream into his mouth. Only for a moment. Then, he nodded, placing the spoon back into the cup. He didn’t question but he allowed a space for Naruto to elaborate. People often thought Naruto was aloof and an airhead but…he could read the signs from his best friend like an open book. 

The coolness from the ice-cream container seeped into his hands. “I like you. But I’m not so sure what to do about it.” His face heated as he kept his gaze firmly on the ground, gathering his thoughts on the best way to explain it to Sasuke. “I don’t know much about you. And I want to know more. But then I get scared about being outside here knowing there’s something between us.” He touched the lobe of his ear with his cold fingers, wincing at the temperature. “I’m just…scared. I don’t think I’m ready to leave what I already know.” He glanced at Sasuke, meeting his dark eyes. “Does that make sense?”

Sasuke ate a spoonful of his ice-cream, leaning into the bench. After a while, he said, “You want to stay as friends.”

Naruto shook his head. “Well. No and yes. I guess…I’m not ready to take a step towards being…” He sucked his bottom lip and let it go. “You know.”

“Boyfriends,” Sasuke said, the word coming out of his mouth easier than it would from Naruto. “What do you want to do then?”

The Beta hummed. “I don’t know.” 

Sasuke leaned forward then, placing the container between the spaces of their thighs. He pressed his forearms on his thighs. “We’ll take it slow then.” Naruto met his dark gaze and his heart squeezed in his chest at the smile on the Alpha’s face. “When you’re ready, we’ll be more.”

The relief was palpable. He tightened his grip on his own container of ice-cream, lifting a spoonful of chocolate and stuffed it in his mouth. “Thank you,” he said, shoulder slumping. 

Sasuke knocked his knee against Naruto’s. “I’ll continue to make you like me in the meantime then.”

Naruto nodded. “Okay,” he said, voice soft as he sighed, smiling. 

As the night shed into its dark coat and with Sasuke’s knee touching his, eating ice-cream together in the quiet park, he supposed what they had done was also one way of shifting the label from friends into something else. 

For now, it was something ambiguous. 

But maybe later in the future, it would be something more tangible. 

They just had to be patient until then.

***

**End Chapter Side Story:**

**Summer Festival**

“Ah, it’s so hot!” Naruto whined as he lay on his floor, sighing. It was finally summer vacation and while he had homework to do, he would rather be here on the ground, wishing the sun would just be gone already. When he whined once more, a book smacked on his face, causing him to splutter. Yanking the book away, he glared at his best friend who was working on his homework on the small table Naruto had lying about. “Oi, bastard!”

He threw the book only for Sasuke to catch it, like he usually did. The dark eyes didn’t even lift to meet his annoyed blue ones. 

“Stop being noisy,” Sasuke said. 

Naruto sat up, fanning himself with a paper he randomly grabbed on the table and another hand taking a watermelon slice from the plate next to him. Munching on it, he turned the flier around only to pause, reading the information on it. 

He sat on his knees before he slammed the flier on Sasuke’s book, earning a heated glare from the Alpha. Ignoring it, knowing his friend wasn’t as mad as he made himself out to be, he said, “Hey, Sasuke! There’s a summer festival coming up. Let’s go.”

Sasuke looked at it before he sighed. “No.” 

He pulled his book from under the flier and moving it aside to work on his homework. Naruto pouted. Glancing at the flier, he wondered if Sakura would be interested in going. Munching on his watermelon, he placed the paper aside, going back to lay on the ground. 

After a few seconds of silence, the Alpha said, “Did you really want to go to the summer festival?”

The Beta turned to his side, facing Sasuke. “Yeap. If you don’t want to go, I wonder if Kiba or Sakura wanna come. Or Sai.” 

He hadn’t spoken to Sai since summer vacation started and even though the boy was eccentric, he was nice to hang out with. Sasuke stopped pencilling on his book before he hummed. 

“We’ll go,” Sasuke said, halting Naruto’s thought process. 

He sat up, blinking at the sudden change of his mind. “What? Really?” 

When Sasuke hummed, he grinned, placing both forearms on the table and shaking the contents on it. The Alpha sighed, catching a tall glass before it dropped to the ground. “Be careful,” Sasuke said. He pointed to his books. “You called me out here because you said you wanted to study, Naruto.”

“Eh,” Naruto said, waving that concern away. “I’m more excited about the summer festival.”

His heart clenched tight when Sasuke snorted under his breath before a smile crossed those pink lips. “Idiot,” Sasuke whispered as he looked at Naruto. 

The blond-haired boy rolled his eyes. “And you’re a bastard, nothing new.”

***

Naruto waved a fan he had gotten from a vendor at his face. Sakura and Kiba arrived moments ago, all chattering loudly. Sai joined them a moment later. All that was left was Sasuke to come by but the bastard was running late, surprisingly. He continued to fan himself. 

“Oi, do you think the Uchiha is gonna come by anytime soon?” Kiba whined. “I need to go see if Hinata’s here.”

“I’ll wait for him here,” Naruto said, pointing to where he was standing. “I’ll meet you guys when it’s near fireworks time.”

Sakura sighed, patting his shoulder. “Come find us if he ditches you.”

Bristling slightly at the lack of confidence on his friend, he waved them off. Sai remained lingering close, however. “I’ll wait for you. I don’t know those two that well.”

Naruto nodded. “He doesn’t like being late to things.”

“Maybe something’s come up,” Sai said, adjusting his sleeves of his kimono. “Has he texted you?”

Naruto shook his head, having just checked his phone a minute ago. “Weird,” he said, a strange feeling settling at the pit of his stomach at Sasuke’s lateness. 

Sai nudged him, pointing to a candy vendor. “While we wait.”

He scratched the back of his neck, glancing at the dark path where he hoped Sasuke would come and then nodded. Sai ended up buying him a candy stick when he realised he forgot his money at home. Damn, and he had been looking froward to showing off the frog purse Iruka’s close friend—and what Naruto deemed to be a close uncle who loved travelling—Jiraiya had gotten for him. 

Munching on the candy, they lingered a bit longer at the entrance before Sai pointed to a bench nearby. Moving there, he sat down and sighed. 

“The fireworks will be pretty,” Sai said as he glanced at the sky. “I should’ve brought my sketchbook with me.”

“Eh? And draw in the dark?” he said, though he was impressed at how creative people thought. 

Sai smiled before he looked at him. And then he pointed to his mouth. Naruto blinked, reaching to wipe his bottom lip, coming up with nothing. His friend leaned forward and reached a hand, fingers about to graze his mouth when pale fingers grasped the wrist and pulled it away, a shadow falling over them. 

Naruto snapped his head up before he beamed, dropping his candy stick as he stood up. “Sasuke!” he said, grasping his arm. “You’re late.”

The taller boy had his hair neatly parted heavier to one side and wearing a navy blue kimono with red fans on them. The Alpha dropped Sai’s hand before he looked at Naruto. Then, he went to look back at Sai. They stared at each other for a while before his artistic friend stood up, nodding at them both. 

“I will leave you two be,” Sai said. 

Naruto blinked. “Wait, where are you going?”

Sai waved at him, leaving him alone. A bit worried for his friend, he turned his attention to Sasuke only for the train of thought to leave him when the Alpha pressed a hand on his face. He immediately squirmed, glancing around. Sasuke held his shoulder, not allowing him to move away as his thumb pressed against his lips. Eyes wide, his heart beat loudly against his chest as he waited for the taller boy’s next move. 

Sasuke wiped his lips before he pressed his thumb against his own mouth. Licking his finger, Sasuke smirked when Naruto’s breath hitched in his throat. A child’s laughter from afar snapped him back to reality and he pushed Sasuke away without too much force. 

The Alpha dropped his hands to his sides. Naruto glanced around, his neck and ears hot as he made sure no one saw them. A sigh escaped his lips as fluster crawled into him. He pressed both hands on his face before he fanned his fingers to peek at Sasuke through them. 

“You’re late,” Naruto said, dropping his hands once he was sure that his face wouldn’t combust. 

Sasuke nodded. “Got caught up at home. I’m here now.”

Yeah, he was. “Everything okay at home?”

Sasuke’s lips twitched upwards a bit into a quick smile. “Fine,” he said. “Let’s go.” Naruto didn’t pry at the shadow crossing his friend’s face. If he was ready, he would talk to him about it. Right? He scratched the back of his neck, trying to curb the curiosity. “Also, Sai’s into you.”

Naruto’s brain screeched into a stop. “What? No, he doesn’t!”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He didn’t say anything else but it was clear in his face that he believed otherwise. That couldn’t be right. Sai was a nice friend and that was all he would be. That was all how he acted. 

“He’s just a friend,” Naruto muttered. 

“I know.” It was just one statement but it carried weight. 

That he believed in the Beta. And that had him smiling to himself. “Hey, Sasuke,” Naruto said, getting a hum as a reply. “You acting cool pisses me off.”

Sasuke didn't hesitate to slap the back of his head, earning a loud whine from Naruto. Before he could bite back, the Alpha’s fingers buried in his hair to rub at the spot he gently tapped. He then brought his hand on the Beta’s head and patted him twice. 

“I’m not,” Sasuke said. “You’re just too in love with me.”

“Oi!” Naruto said, flustered as Sasuke chuckled, taking his hand away. “Don’t be a bastard!”

“Then don’t spout nonsense,” Sasuke said. “What do you want to do first?”

Naruto hummed, rubbing the back of his neck before he glanced around. “I didn’t get to finish my candy.” After a beat he said, “If we can find something with tomatoes in them, we should get that.”

Sasuke frowned for a second. “Why tomatoes?”

Naruto blinked, tilting his head to one side. “Don’t you like tomatoes?”

“But you don’t like them.” 

Yeah, but then what would Sasuke eat? He eyed the Alpha and gave him a smile, confused at the furrow between the dark eyebrows. He stopped walking before he poked a finger at the burrow, smoothing his forehead. He chuckled when the taller boy touched the spot where his finger had been. 

“So?” Naruto said, grinning. “Your picky with your food. We need to get something you can eat too.”

Sasuke searched his face. He was silent and for a second, Naruto wondered if he had broken him. He waved a hand in front his face only to startle when Sasuke grasped his wrist. It was a fleeting touch before the Alpha released him. 

“Come on, man,” Naruto said, snorting under his breath as he picked a vendor that seemed to sell what he wanted. It was only a minute later did the Alpha join him. There was a weird look on Sasuke’s face but he didn’t know what to make of it. It was only when Sasuke had bought for them their food and left to a quieter part of the festival that he nudged Sasuke. “Oi, what’s wrong?”

And because he learned quickly that Sasuke had no delicacy, the Alpha said, “I want to kiss you.”

Chocking on his food, he pointed a stick at Sasuke as he kept a distance between them. Once he managed to suck in air so he no longer coughed, he pressed the back of his free hand against his mouth, eyeing Sasuke with slightly teary eyes. 

“What the hell, man?” Naruto whispered, hoarse. 

He glanced around before he met with the dark eyes, the strange look still on his face. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the seriousness on his face. Sasuke’s lips were pressed into a thin line and his shoulders were squared. Fuck. 

A flash of their first kiss in the literature room crossed his mind and his face heated up. After their first date with the promise to take things slow and at however pace that was decided by time, they hadn’t come close to kissing again. Not that Naruto ever stopped thinking about it. Sometimes it would hit him out of nowhere that he had kissed Sasuke. 

That he had given the taller boy his first kiss. 

And he didn’t hate it. 

He glanced down to the ground. A soft sigh escaped Sasuke before the Alpha said, “Let’s go.”

Before he could leave, Naruto grabbed the sleeve of his kimono, halting him. He raised his face, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Now that Sasuke had brought up that, he couldn’t pretend like the Alpha hadn’t wanted to kiss him. 

And while he was nervous to say anything else in public spaces, he couldn’t deny that he wanted those lips against his again. “Not here.”

Sasuke searched his face, a slight furrow in between his eyebrows before those eyes widened. Naruto swallowed a shock when he was grabbed by his wrist and pulled to a lonelier path. There was a small shack, hidden from everyone. Sasuke pushed him against the side of the shack where there were more shadows with both palms against his shoulders. 

His heart skipped a beat when the Alpha looked down on him. Away from prying eyes and open ears, where they could be alone, he felt the pressure on his shoulders lessening. He gave Sasuke a weak smile. He almost stopped breathing when Sasuke took a step towards him, eliminating the distance between them. When both hands pressed on his face, gently nudging him until he was looking up, he reached to touch his friend’s arms. 

If he could just lean up a little more, their noses would brush. He released a soft, stuttered breath when Sasuke did just that. Noses brushing, Naruto relaxed further. Even this close, he could feel the warmth of him radiating and threatening to undermine his composure. Staring with half-closed eyes at Sasuke, they slid closed when the Alpha tilted his head to the side a bit and pressed his lips against his mouth. 

He was clumsy in kissing back, feeling inadequate but when Sasuke merely pushed him gently to lean the back of his head against the wall of the shack, he quickly let the Alpha take control. They simply kept mashing their lips, not going any further. When a bang in the sky followed by a colour light display had him snapping open his eyes and pulling away, he was met with the astounding picture of Sasuke’s face illuminated by the fireworks. 

It was a breathtaking image that burned into his mind. 

Sasuke smiled then, his thumb of his right hand caressed his bottom lip. 

There, in the summer of his first year in high school, Sasuke stole his breath and his second kiss as he leaned down and press his lips against his.

* * *

**tbc**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. 
> 
> A/N: Apparently my entire chapter 2 has to be divided into two chapters because it exceeded the character count haha So, here, it is divided into two chapters. This chapter is the rest of their high school life and the next chapter is their first year of uni and and end of the chapter side story.
> 
> And this entire thing is now rated E for reasons below. 
> 
> So a few things:   
> a) This chapter is T-rated but the next chapter is E-rated for non-explicit sexual scenes. At least, I don't think it's explicit. I'll mark it in the next chapter where it starts and where it ends. 
> 
> b) Possibly OOC characters so forgive me! And tons of teenage stupidity, misunderstandings and trying to navigate the relationship together in their own ways. 
> 
> With that said, enjoy this double update (in total it's like 61K words so xD) annndd I'll see you guys in chapter 3 (would most likely be divided into two as well so woo, double update!) Tata!

**iii.**

**Second Year of High School**

A hand slapped his back as footsteps echoed down the hallway, drowned by the murmurs of students chattering about and scattered around the place. Naruto grinned, tossing a wave at Kiba who had bounded away from him when Hinata walked out of her classroom. Shoving his hands in his uniform pant pockets, he hummed a tune he heard from somewhere under his breath. The morning had started off uneventful at first but he hoped there would be some excitement now. It had been peaceful, his first year of high school. Too peaceful, in fact. 

And while he had enjoyed the serenity, he was quickly growing bored out of his skull. His feet skidded to a stop, the floor squeaking when the doors to the volleyball court were opened slightly ajar. Laughter and shouts echoed from inside. Fingers itching to open it wider out of curiosity, he compromised by simply glancing through the gap, eyes widening. A group of boys were playing a game. They had their school uniforms on and was divided into two side of the place, the ball bouncing from one conjoined hands to the other, occasionally a person at front would spike to win a point. 

Interested, he pulled a hand out of his pockets to lean in closer. 

While sports had been something he loved, he hadn’t picked one that he truly could put his time into. He had played a game of volleyball once back in junior high school before he met Sasuke but he hadn’t shown that much interest in it since. Now, though…

When the boys clattered and signalled an end of a game, laughter echoing loudly from their mouths, Naruto took a step back. Finding the corner turning to another hallway just close by the gym, he jogged there and flattened his back against the wall. His shoulders jolted when there was a bang as the doors opened followed by shoes squeaking and laughter and loud talks. Naruto’s heart skipped a beat, the back of his neck slightly damp by the time he emerged from the shadows. 

Making sure the boys were gone, he sighed and placed a hand on his chest. 

It was silly how he was nervous to go inside the volleyball court. 

Shaking his head, he carefully grabbed the now closed door and pulled it open, blinking at the emptiness. A smile crawled on his face as he slunk into the large area. There was a basket full of the balls, most likely not yet taken to the store room. Hesitating for just a brief moment, he huffed a breath at his cowardice and jogged up to it, grabbing one. Testing the ball out by tossing it up in the air once and twice, he had to admit; he was liking what he was feeling. 

He didn't know the first thing about volleyball, though. Besides that one game back in junior high, he wasn’t a pro in it or anything. 

But it could be something he could try. 

His phone chimed, breaking through his thoughts with its melody. Catching the ball in his hands, he placed it back in the basket where he found it and pulled out his flip phone from his pant pockets. A smile crawled on his face when the message he received was none other than the very Alpha he had been friends with for almost two years now. Well…friends and a little more, but a territory that he hadn’t yet willing to take. He bit his bottom lip, tapping the phone at the edge of his chin twice before he exited the court. 

‘ _Where are you?_ ’ was the query from his best friend. 

‘ _On my way to the lit room_ ,’ Naruto replied back before he shoved his phone back into his pockets.

Closing the court door behind him, he patted on the steel before jogging away from there. With quick steps, he turned to a sharp corner and entered a quieter hallway. He rarely saw students wandering here except for him and Sasuke—and he liked to keep it that way. At times, he would find himself in the room and making a beeline to the couch. While it was old, the cushion remained like soft blankets against his body whenever he lay on it. 

Reaching the room, he slid open the door and walked in. He stopped short at the entrance, sliding the barricade back on behind him before he turned his attention to the taller boy sitting on the very couch he loved. The Alpha had his head tilted back, eyes closed and hands neatly folded on his stomach. From where the Beta was standing, the sun streaming from the windows landing on his body and the shadow casted on his face created a breathtaking picture. 

Naruto pressed a hand on his mouth, glancing away. Another of his hand wrapped around his stomach as he forced himself to take in a deep breath. Tan fingers danced on the bottom of his lip, ears and cheeks burning in heat at the memory of his second kiss, stolen underneath the fireworks bursting in the sky on a hot summer night. 

One that he didn’t regret. 

It always took him aback at how this thing between them had changed. Sasuke _liked_ him, for some reason and Naruto liked him back. He was too afraid to leave what he knew for something else, point, but the Alpha hadn’t shown an inch of tiredness at walking in his pace. A huff of breath from across the room had blue eyes snapping at the taller boy. 

Naruto dropped his hands to his sides, walking up to Sasuke before taking a seat next to him. Turning his body, he placed an arm on the cushion and his chin on the palm of his hand. Sasuke lolled his head to face him, his breath coming out even. Examining his face this close, the Beta’s lips twitched into a brief frown at the emerging dark circles underneath those eyes. His fingers itched to touch his pale skin, to caress at that spot. 

He instead curled them to make a fist and consciously kept them on his lap. 

While he never questioned him about it, he had noticed the paling skin and his dark circles on his face. And those subtle yawns that escaped the Alpha’s mouth once in a while whenever Naruto looked away. Just what was he doing to be this tired?

He knew that Sasuke was also forced to participate in a club activity. What was it again? 

Those tea ceremony clubs. 

A soft sigh escaped his lips as the Beta tilted his head further to the right. 

“If you keep frowning like that, you’re going to end up ugly before twenty,” Sasuke whispered, his eyes still closed. 

Jolting at the voice, Naruto blinked, losing his momentary frown and furrow of his eyebrows. After a beat, he smiled, narrowing his eyes at his best friend. Poking a tan finger against the pale forehead, he chuckled when the Alpha opened his eyes into thin slits, dark gaze boring into his blue ones. They looked so unfocused and hazy. A slither of worry settled in his chest at the sight.

“Are you getting enough sleep?” Naruto asked. 

“Hn.” Sasuke yawned, his shoulder slumping as he relaxed his body further. 

He looked dangerously close to toppling over that Naruto had to sit straighter, just in case. His breath hitched in his throat when the Alpha did fall, but more so deliberately. Sasuke turned his body so his head now was pillowed by the Beta’s thigh, his hands once more clasped together to place on his stomach, legs dangling at the edge of the sofa. 

His weight on his thighs was definitely a presence Naruto couldn’t ignore. Warmth washed over him, making him smile a little despite the heat crawling onto his face. He shook his leg a little, jostling the Alpha’s head with his movements. Sasuke’s half-closed eyes met his, almost as if he was waiting for the Beta to speak and stop moving. 

At the end, he relented, siting properly so Sasuke could lay on his lap better. 

“You should sleep better,” Naruto said. 

The Alpha didn’t say anything to that, not that he was expecting any reply. He was aware of his perks by now. At the end, he leaned his head back to look at the ceiling. They were already seventeen and they were quickly heading to end of their youth. In a year, they would be seniors and then what? A soft whistle escaped his lips at that thought. 

“Hey, I think I’m going to try out for the volleyball team,” Naruto said. 

Sasuke turned his body to lay on his side, facing the Beta’s stomach. The blond-haired man tensed, dropping his head to look at the pale man who was now nuzzling his nose against his abdomen. He bit his bottom lip, holding back a slight chuckle due to Sasuke accidentally tickling him. A warmth of affection covered his chest at the relaxed posture of his best friend. 

“Volleyball?” Sasuke questioned, almost like the sentence had taken a while to register. 

“Yeah.” Naruto hummed under his breath. “I saw some guys playing it and…I think I would like it.”

Sasuke huffed a quiet breath. “You should try.”

Naruto eyed his best friend, opening his mouth to reply when those dark eyes closed and his body went lax on him. Ah, he was asleep. A brief smile tugged on his lips before the familiar worry washed over him. Tan fingers itched to touch his face. He wanted to caress his skin and brush his hair from his face. He wanted to hold him until he was okay again. 

At the end, he settled to the smaller part of him that wanted to run his fingers through the dark locks. Gently, soft hair brushed against his skin. The silence that washed over them followed by distant sounds of leaves rustling once in a while had him relaxing further into the couch.

***

He wasn’t joking when he said he wanted to try out of the volleyball team. Before he knew it, he had gone to the tryout, little relieved that he managed to at least try. What he didn’t expect was to be selected and be shoved in a team full of Alphas and Betas. He had thought it would be hard to fit in but… it wasn’t. Especially when he was quickly taken in by his seniors. 

He scratched the back of his neck as he walked down the hallway after class, heading to the court. Deciding to check on Sasuke before he went for his first practise, he hunted down the club room. 

Was it on this floor? He wasn’t completely sure.

Scratching the back of his neck, he took random turns. He should’ve listened to Sasuke when he told him about the directions to the room! Taking out his phone, he was about to compose a message to the very Alpha when a hand tapped his shoulder. Fingers pausing on the keys, he turned his head to grin when he spotted Sai. 

The pale-skinned man gave him his usual decent smile before he tilted his head to the side a bit. “What are you doing here, Naruto-kun?”

“Ah!” Naruto shoved his phone into his pockets before grabbing the other boy’s shoulders. “Do you know where the tea club room?” 

Sai’s smile slipped form his face, a monotonous look before he furrowed his eyebrows. Confusion was clear on his face before Naruto noticed the very _second_ he realised what he was asking about. A smile back on his face, the other boy nodded, patting the Beta’s hand on his shoulder. 

“Ah, it’s right here,” Sai said as he gestured at Naruto to follow him. “Meeting with Uchiha-kun?”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, grinning again as his cheeks heated a bit from the fluster in his stomach. “Just wanna see him before I go to the volleyball court.”

He glanced at the other boy before silence washed over them. Sasuke had once made a comment that Sai liked him but he didn’t think so. After all, even when they were alone like this, he couldn’t sense anything from the other person. Then again…he didn’t even know Sasuke liked him until the Alpha told him. Dropping his fingers from his head to his neck, he lightly scratched his skin. 

He didn’t want to breach the topic, however. 

If Sai didn’t want to say anything, then he wouldn’t pry it out of him. As cowardly as it sounded, Naruto preferred them staying as friends and while the boy was slightly eccentric, he was a nice guy to talk to. 

When they stopped at large door, slightly opened, Naruto beamed. He slapped Sai’s back as he gently pushed it to the side. It was definitely the tea room, what with the mats on the floor and the low tables. Sasuke was in there, talking to someone. Sai poked his shoulder, catching his attention. When he gestured to walk away, the Beta nodded, smiling in gratitude. 

He opened his mouth to speak when the very Alpha turned his head to look at him. 

At that, Naruto smiled instead, giving him a small wave. 

Sasuke turned his gaze back at the person he was speaking to before he went to where Naruto was. The Alpha raised his eyebrows, scanning his face before he met his eyes, an unasked question in the air. No doubt wondering why Naruto was here. 

Amused, Naruto crossed his arms against his chest. “Dropping by to tell you I’ll be at the court.”

A recognition passed by his best friend’s face. Sasuke nodded, running his fingers through his neatly parted hair. Immediately, tan hands reached to circle his pale wrists, stopping the Alpha from further messing up his hair. Naruto clicked his tongue before he let Sasuke’s hands go. He then touched his hair, fixing some of the disarray strands to where they belong. 

Not realising that he had accidentally closed the distance between their bodies, he barely had a moment to think when Sasuke’s hand touched his chin, tilting his head back a little. Their noses brushed and the Beta froze in his steps. Hands in the air, paused, blue eyes searched the pale-skinned man. His heart skipped a beat when Sasuke closed the distance even more until his hot breath fanned his bottom lip. 

“Sas—” His words were cut off when the Alpha planted his mouth against his in a soft, chaste kiss. 

When the Alpha took a step back, detangling himself from Naruto’s grasp, it was with a smirk and a certain twinkle in his eyes. A weird noise escaped the Beta’s lips as he pressed the back of his right hand against his mouth, gaze immediately darting to his surroundings to catch if anyone had seen them. 

To his relief, everyone was busy in the room and there wasn’t anyone in the hallway. Narrowing his eyes at Sasuke, he dropped his hand to his sides, a pout forming on his lips. The Alpha merely continued to smirk before he placed a hand on his head, patting him twice. 

Naruto shook his touch away, taking a step back. 

“Bastard,” the Beta muttered, his cheeks reddening despite his heart squeezing in his chest at the chuckles spilling from those lips he kissed moments ago. “I’m gonna go. See ya, Sas’”

“Wait for me,” Sasuke said, halting his feet from taking a step back. “Let’s go home together.”

Naruto grinned then. “Fine,” he said. “Iruka also keeps haggling me to bring you to dinner.”

The Alpha didn’t look unhappy about it. It was funny how Sasuke would refuse to come over unless Naruto dragged him there physically and now, he only ever had to tell him and he would agree. He supposed that was one of the things between them that changed. One that he would need to get used to. He scratched the back of his neck as he smiled at Sasuke. 

It had been a whole year and a bit since Sasuke confessed to him. Since Naruto felt the same way. 

Since they decided to take things slow and let time decide on which path they would end up in. 

It had been a whole year and a half since they shared anything beyond a hand-holding and a few pecks. 

As he left Sasuke’s club room and took a turn to the right to walk down the path to the court, his mind wandered to what dating meant for them both. He had heard of Kiba talking about sex and the things that came with it. He stopped short at a window to look at the field where some students were playing. Teenage boys and girls alike, regardless of their secondary gender, would want something out of their relationship, wouldn’t they?

Did Sasuke ever want him that way? 

How did sex work between them both?

He halted his thoughts as heat crawled up his face. Slapping his cheeks once, he forced his legs to continue walking. 

It wouldn’t do good now to think about those things. They weren’t at the stage where those mattered. He bit his bottom lip, slight curiosity perking in his mind regardless despite how much he denied it.

***

“Guess who’s no longer a virgin?” Kiba’s sing-song voice was the first thing Naruto heard before he landed on his back, arms wrapping around his shoulder. 

The Beta shook him off, earning a laugh as his best friend took a seat next to him on the stone bench and tables located at the school backyard. Sakura, who had been busy fighting off Ino on correcting her homework, stopped bickering to look at Kiba. Her eyes then widened. 

“Hinata actually slept with you?” she asked in a tone _so surprised_ that it had Naruto snorting under his breath. 

“Oi,” Kiba said, quietening down when Sakura tossed him a glare. “I mean, Sakura-chan, I’m a great boyfriend!”

“Maybe we should ask her,” Ino said, placing her chin on the palm of her hand, a smirk on her face. “Hinata-chan! We’re here!”

The very girl walked up to them, albeit her cheeks were stained red. She had a smile on her face, one that had Kiba moving to sit next to her, wrapping an arm across her shoulders. From here, it was clear how much he loved her. When she hunched her body closer to her chest, his best friend merely pulled her closer, as if to keep her protected from the world. 

And for a brief moment, Naruto wondered if that was how he looked like when Sasuke pulled him close. 

He waved the image away when his heart skipped a beat, bringing forth familiar heat that he was getting accustomed to associating it with Sasuke. 

“W-What are you all t-talking about?” Hinata asked. 

“Kiba’s boasting about having sex with you,” Sakura said, not one ounce of pity when Kiba began to flail as his eyes widened. 

Naruto held back laughing when Kiba immediately hissed at Sakura and went to explain to Hinata what he truly meant as his girlfriend grew paler than he thought was normal. She turned her head to look at Kiba, stuttering out something, one that had Kiba grinning with red blooming on his cheeks. 

“So noisy,” Shikamaru murmured as he sat in front of them, head pillowed on his arms. 

Ino slapped the back of his head, causing the sleepy teen to jolt a little. Placing his chin on his arms, he turned narrowed, unfocused eyes at the blond-haired woman. Naruto cracked a grin at the picture before his phone chimed. Taking it out, he hummed under his breath when he realised it was Sasuke asking where he was. Typing a short response, he dropped his phone on the stone table. 

“Hey, where’s the Uchiha?” Ino asked, causing Sakura to tense and Kiba to snap his attention back at them. 

Then green and dark eyes landed on the blond-haired boy as if he knew where Sasuke was. 

At that, he tilted his head back and made a long, dragged out noise. He bowed his head before he said, “He’s on his way here.”

“Hah, knew it,” Kiba said, snapping his fingers at him. “You always know where that Dark Prince is.”

“Yo, I’m not his guardian,” Naruto said, loudly, trying to aim a kick at his best friend only for Kiba to avoid it with a swift move of pulling his legs up to the seat he was sitting on. “I don’t keep track on where he goes.”

“Does he?” Sakura asked, her eyes once more plastered on her book, her question monotonous. 

A bead of sweat formed at the side of his temple at the weight of her question. He hadn’t told them yet about the thing brewing between him and Sasuke. He didn’t know how they would react to the news so he kept his mouth shut. At least for now, he would like to keep this between them. Until he figured out what he wanted out of this relationship.

Naruto only laughed, nervous as he scratched the back of his neck. “Come on, Sakura. He’s not my guardian either.”

“Maybe not,” Sakura said, her voice trailing off. 

She didn’t bother continuing that line of conversation so Naruto didn’t bring it up. He didn’t want to examine the underlying tone of suspicion in her voice. It was better he didn’t poke the hornet’s nest. When Sasuke did come by, taking a seat next to him, Naruto was wound up tight like a toy. His shoulders were squared and half of his mind was conscious of his best friend’s presence. 

When their arms brushed a tad, the Beta couldn’t help but to shift away a little out of reflex, clearing his throat. 

“Yo, Uchiha,” Kiba said, flashing a grin at his face. “You look awful.”

“Yeah,” Ino said, raising her eyebrows. “Like you got run over by a train. Twice.”

The Beta winced at the image. He chanced a glance at the Alpha and noted that, unfortunately, Ino’s description wasn’t too far off. It seemed as if Sasuke had grown paler and that there were deeper, darker circles around his eyes. Frowning, he momentarily pushed away his slight cautiousness of being this close to the other boy and turned his body to face him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he tugged at Sasuke until the Alpha moved to sit in front of him. 

“What the hell have you been doing?” Naruto said, searching his face. “You look dead.”

“Thanks,” Sasuke said, deadpanning as he shook off the Beta’s hand from his shoulder. 

Naruto huffed a breath, standing up. “Wait here,” he said. 

He had an inkling the boy hadn’t even eaten anything. He didn’t know what the Alpha was doing every day but he would pry it out of him soon. The Beta jogged to the nearest vending machine, buying a box of apple juice and bread. When he came back to his table of friends, he tossed the two items onto Sasuke’s lap, earning a snicker from Kiba and a snort from Ino. 

“Taking care of him like a guardian too, huh?” Ino said, smirking when the Beta stared at her. 

Sasuke took them, placing them both on the table. When he made no move to actually eat anything, the Beta sighed under his breath and grabbed the apple juice box. Poking the straw into it, he handed it over to the Alpha, eyeing him when those dark gaze landed on him. 

“Drink,” Naruto said, his voice soft but nevertheless given no room for argument. “Come on, Sasuke.”

The Alpha didn’t say anything, merely taking the juice box to sip on the drink. Naruto then grabbed the bread, opening the plastic to hand it over to Sasuke. When the Alpha hesitated, the blond-haired boy grabbed his pale hand and shoved it into his grip. A slither of worry once more buried deep into his chest when the Alpha quietly ate it. 

“Obedient,” Kiba teased. 

“Fuck off, man,” Naruto said, unhappily. “Yo, Sasuke. You not gonna tell me why the hell you look like a zombie?”

The Alpha paused in his bite, tossing a deadpanned look at Naruto before he went back to eating. “Later,” he said, at the end. 

His behaviour was kinda strange too. Naruto knew better than to pry when his best friend became tight-lipped but worry and curiosity burned within him. When he did turn back his attention his friends, it was with a half-hearted smile and an eye on Sasuke. By the time they finally disbanded to head on their separate way, leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone, the blond-haired boy took that opportunity to turn his body to face the Alpha again. 

“You really look like you’re about to die,” Naruto said. 

Sasuke snorted under his breath, standing up with the empty juice box and plastic in his hands. Moving to throw them at a recycling trash cans just nearby, the Beta stood up as well. Gathering their bags, he jogged up the Alpha, tossing the other boy’s stuff at him. 

“Thanks,” Sasuke said, adjusting the strap of his bag over his shoulder. When those tired dark eyes met his blue ones, Naruto could tell that in reality, the Alpha had no intention on letting him know what was up. “Come on.”

The blond-haired boy grabbed Sasuke’s wrist, halting him. “Are you really not going to tell me?” 

Sasuke thinned his lips. “I’m fine.” 

“You’re not fine, man,” Naruto said, letting him go when the Alpha shook his touch away. The second time today. The worry transformed into something akin to hurt and irritation. “You really look sick.”

“I’m not sick,” Sasuke said, running his fingers through his hair before he sighed. “I’m fine. Let it go.”

Naruto clenched his jaw for a second before he said, “I thought we’re friends. What’s with this secret then?”

Sasuke met his eyes before he looked away, another sigh escaped his lips. “I’m fine.” Naruto opened his mouth to argue when the Alpha took a step towards him and pressed a hand on his head. Patting him twice, Sasuke gave him a brief smile. “I’m fine.”

Naruto closed his mouth for a bit, searching the pale boy’s face. There was a certain mask on his features making it hard for him to read. He didn’t know if Sasuke was telling the truth and it was frustrating. When Sasuke pulled his touch away, tossing a wave at him, it was with a clear indication then that Naruto wasn’t allowed to follow him. 

And as he remained standing there, staring at the retreating back of his best friend and the person he liked, there was just a mix of confusion and annoyance—with a great dash of fear worming into his chest. 

What the hell?

***

The Beta sat on the couch in the abandoned literature room, waiting for his best friend to walk in. He had Iruka’s bento box on his lap for the past twenty minutes since break started. Impatience was crawling underneath his skin. Sasuke usually ended up either meeting him outside of the classroom or came by here first before the Beta could. 

This was one of the rare times that Naruto arrived and was _waiting_ for him. 

After yesterday with Sasuke’s reluctance to share on what was going on with him and with him texting the Beta that he would need to go home first, Naruto hadn’t been able to catch him for a while now. It had only been twenty-four hours or so since he last saw his face and he was becoming antsy. 

He hated this. 

He didn’t know how he lived his life not even speaking a word to Sasuke before, or the time he had ignored his best friend—but this was torture. 

Just as he was about to stand up and search for Sasuke, the door to the literature room opened. And the very boy he had been waiting to see walked inside. And he…

He looked worse than yesterday. 

Naruto’s breath hitched in his throat when the Alpha took another step into the room with a mask over his face. A black mask that contrasted against his pale skin. Those as dark eyes were not meeting his as the Alpha took another step and placed his bento on the table, not making any move to come closer. 

“I have to go,” Sasuke said, voice so low that Naruto wouldn’t have heard the raspiness if he hadn’t stopped breathing in shock. “There’s your food. I’ll see you later.”

And just like that, the Alpha turned his back to him, ready to leave. 

That wouldn’t do. 

Adrenaline shot through his veins then. Naruto dropped his bento on the couch and closed the distance between them. Slamming the door when Sasuke opened it, he trapped the Alpha against the door with both palms on either side of his head. This close, he could see the redness at the nape of Sasuke’s neck and the squaring of his shoulders. He held his ground though when the Alpha turned around. 

Now, their eyes met. 

While his own heart skipped a beat and his face warmed from the closeness of their bodies, it was overshadowed by his attentiveness to Sasuke’s tired expression. Especially the slight sweatiness at the temples of his face. Worried, he furrowed his eyebrows and dropped his hands on the tight shoulders. Sasuke visibly _jumped_ as if he hadn’t expected that. 

“Okay, what the hell is going on with you?” Naruto questioned. 

“Nothing,” Sasuke said.

“You’re lying,” Naruto said, deadpanning even if the irritation was mounting inside of him. He tried to touch Sasuke’s face when the Alpha took a hold of his wrist. “Sasuke, what the hell, man?”

Sasuke searched his face before he closed them. He took in a deep breath, the grip on his wrist tightened. “I’m fine.”

“You sound like you’re trying really hard to make that sound real,” Naruto said, allowing the tiniest bit of anger to seep in his voice. “Are you really trying to lie to me? You look like you’re a walking dead.” After a beat he added, “Geez…if you really didn’t want to hang around me for whatever reason, all you need to do is tell me—”

“For fuck’s sake,” Sasuke said, his low voice tight. He dropped Naruto’s wrist and placed a hand on his chest to push him away. “Not everything is about you, dumbass.”

Naruto straightened himself before he pointed a finger at the Alpha. “Oh, yeah? Then why the fuck are you avoiding me? You’re even lying to me.”

Sasuke leaned against the door as he ran a hand through his hair. “Just let it go.”

Naruto gritted his teeth. “I’m worried about you. You’re my best friend.”

“I’m _fine_ ,” Sasuke snapped, shocking the Beta for a second at the tone. “So, let it go. Go eat the food and get to class, idiot. I’ll see you later.”

“Hey, asshole!” Naruto said, loudly, stopping Sasuke in his steps as he was about to turn around. “I’ll find out what’s going on with you!”

Sasuke simply tossed a wave at him as he left Naruto alone with his thoughts. 

“Fuck you,” Naruto whispered in frustration. 

Something didn’t add up. 

Sasuke was sick. He definitely was if not he wouldn’t be wearing a mask. More so, he was sweating. He also wouldn’t really meet his eyes. Scratching the back of his neck, he tossed a glare at the Alpha’s bento box on the table as if it had hurt him personally. 

Whatever it was that Sasuke was trying hard to hide, Naruto wasn’t about to take it down quietly. 

Because a part of him was sure that whatever that was happening to Sasuke might be related to him.

***

The plan was simple. Every time Sasuke tried to avoid him, Naruto would make sure to find him a minute later. The plan so far hadn't been that successful, especially when Sasuke seemed set on making sure the distance between them were at an arm’s length. And it had him baffled. Today was one such day. As he prowled down the hallway, his emotions had gone from worried to pissed off, he bypassed Sasuke’s class knowing full well that the Alpha wouldn’t be there. 

He also could guess that he wouldn’t be at the literature room. 

As he entered the abandoned hallway leading to the unused staircase, he paused. He didn’t know what made him think Sasuke would be up there but… he had an urge to climb the stairs. After a beat, he climbed up to head to the supposedly haunted rooftop. He didn’t know how he knew, but when he noticed that the door was ajar slightly, he was sure that Sasuke was there. 

He was about to push the door wider when he heard voices. 

Stopping in his tracks, he furrowed his eyebrows.

It was a voice of a girl and a voice of a guy. When he leaned in closer to the gap between the door and its frame, he recognised immediately one of the voices. It _was_ Sasuke. But who was the female voice? 

“And you chose to come here still?” the female voice said followed by a snicker. “Bold of you.”

“Shut up,” Sasuke said. 

“Is it because of your special someone?” she said. “Gotta protect them because your Alpha said so?”

Sasuke didn’t say anything to that. But that earned another round of laughter from the female. 

“Hey, you should let them—”

“Shut the fuck up, ugly,” Sasuke said. “I don’t have anyone like that.”

Naruto blinked, taken aback at the harshness in his friend’s voice. He hadn’t ever heard Sasuke speak like that before. Sure, they threw insults to each other quite often than not but it was never done out of malice. Or even anger.

On another note, when did Sasuke make any other friend but him?

And from what he heard, one who _knew_ what was going on with him?

Naruto thinned his lips, gripping tight on the handle of the door to barge in anyway, his heart tightening against his chest in response. His muscles froze however when their conversation continued. 

“Sure,” the female voice said. “So you don’t like anyone?”

“No,” Sasuke said. “No one like that and none of your fucking business.”

“Liar,” she said. “I can smell your scent change. Hey, Sasuke. You should just tell them. Or.” There was a beat before she giggled and went, “Do you want me to help you out?”

Naruto recoiled like he had been burned. His face warmed but it was more so out of this wash of anger. Jealousy and disbelief coloured his mind as he tried to make sense of what he heard. The only consolation he got for, what Naruto really thought was a proposition, was Sasuke firmly rejecting her. 

He took a step back, the sudden courage to barge in now had been doused out by the anger and frustration. 

Turning around, he jogged down the stairs, breathing heavily. Pulling out his phone, he composed a message to his so-called best friend with shaky fingers. He would need to speak to Sasuke or else he was going to find where he lived and confront him. 

‘ _Come by the lit room after school. You better show up, bastard because I’m kinda getting sick of this game. Will wait until you come._ ’

Was this how Sasuke felt the last time Naruto had ignored him? 

Scratching the back of his neck harder than necessary, he bit his bottom lip and marched away from the staircase. 

A part of him was hurt that Sasuke didn’t confide in him on what was going on with him. 

And another part wondered why the Alpha had straight out rejected that he had someone he liked. 

Didn’t he tell Misaki-chan last year that brazenly? 

Naruto stopped walking, short to entering the crowded hallway. 

There was no way Sasuke changed his mind on how he felt about him…right?

***

Naruto sat on the couch in the literature room. Again, waiting for Sasuke to show up. It was almost eerily similar to how things had gone down just three days ago when the Alpha suddenly decided that spending even one more second with Naruto was bad. His chest tightened. 

He opened his flip phone every few seconds, waiting for a reply. Sasuke hadn’t graced him with one and it didn’t help the antsy feeling inside of him. His thoughts kept circling back to his life-long insecurities. To his long-held belief of his secondary gender and how abnormal he was. 

Sasuke told him that those didn’t matter once. 

Did he decide otherwise?

He scratched the side of his neck, his bottom lip pursed. 

There was suddenly things he didn’t know about the Alpha. Things that the pale-skinned boy didn’t want to share with him. Where did they go wrong? 

Fuck, they weren’t even dating. 

Maybe that was where things had gone wrong?

Maybe Sasuke got tired of waiting for him. 

He bit his bottom lip as he flipped open his flip phone again and then closed it. Releasing a shaky breath, he leaned further into the couch and glanced at the ceiling. Was Sasuke really not going to show?

Wouldn’t that be cruel of him?

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the door to the lit room slid opened. His heart skipped a beat, forcing his head to loll forward so he could look at the very boy he had been waiting for. Sasuke walked in with the same dark mask on the lower half of his face. His tie was loose around his neck and his collar unbuttoned, hair disarray. But most of all, he looked so _bad_. 

The brief moments of anger and frustration died to welcome the worry. He stood up only for Sasuke to shuffle back a bit, as if he had anticipated what Naruto would do. 

And that recoil had his breath hitching in his throat in hurt. 

“Do you no longer want to be my friend?” Naruto blurted out, frustration bleeding in his voice. 

Sasuke froze for a brief second when finally, their eyes met. From this big distance between them, Naruto couldn’t really detect the difference but there was something off about Sasuke’s gaze. Almost as if he was searing his look onto his body. Ears burning, he took in a deep breath, not willing to admit defeat. 

“Stupid,” Sasuke said, huffing a breath as he furrowed his eyebrows. 

“ _I’m_ stupid?” Naruto said, finally forgoing the worry with how flippant the Alpha was in front of him. “What the hell is wrong with you? If you no longer care for me, all you need to do is say it to my face, Sasuke.”

Sasuke squared his shoulders, his gaze narrowing. “What are you on about?”

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Naruto said. “You’re hiding things from me.”

“I can’t have secrets now?” Sasuke’s words pierced through his mind like a dagger. “You have your secrets too.”

“I don’t, not with you,” Naruto said. 

Sasuke scoffed, turning his head away. “There’s just some things I can’t tell you, Naruto. Even an idiot would understand what that means.”

“Now you’re being a right bastard,” Naruto said, curling his fingers into fists. “You can’t consult me but you can consult your new friend, huh?”

The words carelessly left his mouth, shifting the air between them to tighten the tension. All of a sudden, Sasuke’s gaze was sharper than before. The Alpha took a step towards him and almost like he just realised he shouldn’t, took another step back. 

“I don’t have any new friend,” Sasuke said, too calmly.

“Right,” Naruto said, humourlessly laughing. “Just like how you said you don’t have anyone you like.”

Sasuke took in a sharp breath. “You were at the rooftop. I thought I smelled your scent.”

“Oh, now you can’t recognise my scent either?” Naruto screeched loudly, anger and hurt curling in his chest at that. 

“Don’t jump into conclusions, idiot,” Sasuke hissed. “Did you think I _wanted_ to hide shit from you?”

“Then why are you?”

“There’s just some things a Beta can’t understand, Naruto!” 

Silence washed into the scene at that. There was palpable taste of bitter in his mouth. While the anger still strummed underneath his skin, what really dominated his thoughts was…disappointment. More so at himself. Sasuke sighed loudly, rubbing a hand down his face before he adjusted his mask over his nose. 

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Sasuke whispered. “Naruto…”

“I’m a Beta,” Naruto said. “But you’re the one who told me I didn’t have to care about that.”

“Fuck.” The Alpha lessened the distance between them before he grabbed Naruto by his arms, pulling him close. When Naruto looked at him in the eyes, it was then he noted _why_ Sasuke looked different. Those dark pools he was used to staring at had hints of red in them. As if they were ready to colourise the iris into a different colour if Sasuke so much so wished for it. His breath hitched in his throat, his mind working miles per minute to put things together. “Listen, I’ll explain it to you next week. For now, I can’t stay near you. It’s not you. It’s just me and my stupid body.”

Naruto searched his face. “Is that why you look so tired?”

“Yeah,” Sasuke said without hesitation. “I can’t stay long. I have to go. Depending on things, I might not come to school for the next few days.” Naruto opened his mouth only for Sasuke to shake his head, tightening his grip on his arms. “Don’t look for me. Promise me.”

“Sasuke—”

“Please.”

This was the first time his best friend ever begged for anything. Naruto’s heart clenched in his chest, the anger had now fizzled out and died, leaving behind traces of worry and frustration that he couldn’t do anything to help. At the end, he nodded, his shoulders deflating. 

“It’s not your fault,” Sasuke said, his voice raspy as he took a step back from him, taking his touch away. “It’s _not_ your fault.”

Naruto thinned his lips for a second. “You have to tell me what’s going on when you’re back, Sasuke.” He almost reached a hand to touch him. “You are coming back right?”

Sasuke nodded. “Of course.” The Alpha took in a deep breath. “Always.” After a beat, he added, “Have you eaten?”

The Beta shook his head. Truthfully, he lost his appetite while he was chewing his fingernails over this matter. At that, Sasuke dug through his bag before he tossed a plastic-wrapped bread. Naruto took it in his hands, tightening his grip on it as if it was a precious treasure. 

“Eat,” Sasuke said. 

Naruto couldn’t help the relief washing over him at the familiarity of the behaviour. Even if he had no idea what was truly happening. When he nodded, the Alpha nodded as well. There was still so many questions that needed to be answered. But as Sasuke stood there, his shoulders squared once more as he took a step back, glancing at him. There was a sense of calmness in him for the first time since this weirdness had begun. 

Whatever it was that was bothering Sasuke, he could only trust that the Alpha would tell him after whatever it was ended. 

“Take care,” Naruto said. 

And even from behind the mask, the crinkled corners of the Alpha’s eyes gave away that he was smiling.

***

Naruto munched on his bread as he sat next to Sakura at the benches in front of the field where a few boys were playing ball during break. Sasuke hadn’t shown up to school just like he said he wouldn’t. While a part of him had been antsy about his absence, he couldn’t do anything about it. Instead, he could only occupy himself by stuffing his mouth with the bread and half-heartedly pay attention to the game in front of him. The scribbling of the pencil from next to him stopped before Sakura nudged his elbow. 

Naruto hummed under his breath, glancing at her. 

“Where’s the Uchiha?” Sakura asked. “Haven’t seen him hanging around you for a few days.”

“Beats me,” Naruto said, a tad sourly than he intended it to be. 

Sakura paused from his peripheral vision before she nudged his arm harder, eliciting a choked hiss from the Beta. He bit his bread, holding it in his mouth while he pulled his arm away form her sharp elbow, rubbing at the spot she had hurt him. When he turned his face to look at her, he met her questioning gaze; eyebrows raised and a frown on her lips. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she said. “Are you both fighting?”

Naruto shook his head, taking his bread out of his mouth. “Nah.” 

He didn’t know how to put it into words. And a part of him didn’t _want_ to share it with her either. The memory at the rooftop where Sasuke had told someone he had not known that he didn’t have anyone he liked flashed in his head. It brought forth a myriad of conflicting emotions. While he knew that it would make things complicated if Sasuke readily confessed he had someone he liked, a Beta at that, it still made him feel weird. 

A sigh left his lips. 

“He said he’ll tell me when he comes back from his absence,” Naruto said with a careless shrug, finishing his bread. 

“So he told you he would be missing classes?” Sakura questioned, closing her book. 

“Not the reason,” Naruto said. “But yeah.”

Sakura hummed under her breath, catching his attention. “The Uchiha is keeping secrets from you, huh?”

“Come on, don’t make it sound like that,” Naruto said, irritation flaring within him as if someone had pressed a red button by accident. He thinned his lips when Sakura merely stared at him. Cheeks warming, he quickly added, “He’ll tell me when he comes back.”

He hoped. Sasuke had promised. 

“Right,” Sakura said, her voice dragging. 

Naruto twitched at that, not liking the implication in her voice. He scrunched the plastic in his hands, the sound distracting himself from looking at Sakura’s face. 

“He’ll tell me,” the Beta said, taking in a deep breath. 

He believed in Sasuke. He trusted him. Even if things were a bit weird right now. 

“He better,” Sakura said as she stood up, taking her stuff with her. Patting his shoulder, she added, “Don’t let yourself get carried away with his deceits.”

With that said, she left him sitting there with the words echoing in his head. He ran his fingers through his blond hair, messing it. She was wrong. Sasuke wasn’t lying. He was just hiding something for some reason. He glanced at the field where his schoolmates were playing football. Hesitating, he stood up, shoving the plastic into his pant pockets and walked up to them. 

“Oi, lemme join!” he said, loudly with a grin he didn’t feel. 

He would just had to wait for Sasuke to come back.

***

“Good practise, Uzumaki!” one of his teammates said as he slapped his shoulder. 

The Beta grinned, the volleyball in his hands. Sweating, he pressed a hand over his forehead to wipe some of it away, taking in deep breaths to regulate his heartbeat. Walking to his bag at the sideline of the court, he sat down next to it and searched through the items for his phone and towel. Wiping his face, he paused when he flipped his phone up to see a message from Sai. 

‘ _Will you be free after practise? I’m going to head to buy art supplies. If you want to come._ ’

Naruto hummed, pausing to think. He hovered his thumb over the keypads before he exited the chat and scrolled through the chats before he stopped at Sasuke’s. Clicking on it, the last message they shared which was two days ago flashed in front of his eyes. It was a simple question from the Beta to ask if the other boy was fine and after hours, he received a curt reply of; ‘I’m fine’. 

It had been radio silent since then. 

He huffed a breath, typing another question on the type box before he stopped himself. No. Deleting the words, he went back to Sai’s message and gave him a quick affirmative. Sasuke made it clear that Naruto shouldn’t bother him. While the longer the silence made him impatient, he had promised Sasuke. 

He just had to believe in him. 

Closing his phone, he tightened his grip on it and stood up, gathering his stuff to take a quick shower before he had to meet with Sai. When he did meet with Sasuke’s doppleganger, the pale boy was waiting at the entrance of the gym. He grinned, waving at him and jogging to where the other Beta was. 

Sai gave him a smile back, shaking his phone in front of his blue eyes. “I have the list of the things I need.”

“Why the supply run?” Naruto asked as he adjusted his bag over his shoulder. 

“I’m practising landscapes and I’m running out of charcoal,” Sai said, not even blinking as he opened a picture. Handing his phone to the Beta, he added, “It was a picture I took during last winter and hadn’t gotten the chance to paint and sketch this.”

It was beautiful. An empty pathway with snow covering its floor and next to it was a gate and fence running along a river—it was wallpaper worthy. Handing the device back to Sai, he whistled under his breath. He pointed to himself with a charming grin. 

“You going to show me when you’re done with it?” he asked Sai. 

“Of course.” The pale-skinned boy returned his grin with another smile. “Let’s go. Thank you for accompanying me.”

Naruto shrugged, shoving his hands into his pant pockets. “Nah, could use some fresh air too.”

Sai nodded. A few seconds silence passed by them before the other boy said, “Is everything okay between you and Uchiha-kun?”

His breath hitched in his throat, giving out a humourless laugh as he scratched the back of his neck. This was the second time someone had asked if something was wrong with them. Was it that weird for them to not be attached by the hip? 

Naruto held back the urge to sigh under his breath, knowing the answer to that. 

“Things are fine,” Naruto said, picking his words far more carefully than he would like to admit. “Why?”

Sai shrugged. “I haven’t seen him around you.”

“Ah,” Naruto said. “Nah, he just has some things to do.”

His friend nodded once. “I see.”

“Is it that weird that we’re not seen together lately?” The question was out of his mouth before he could hold it back. 

But he couldn’t deny the curiosity burning within him at that. In his head, it felt natural that Sasuke was always by his side. While he was aware of eyes on them at all times, Naruto hadn’t realised just how big of a presence Sasuke had made with him being next to him. And it made him nervous. 

“A little bit,” Sai answered. “But if everything is fine, then I have no reason to worry.”

“You worry when we aren’t?” Naruto raised his eyebrows when Sai smiled. 

“You are my friend, Naruto-kun,” Sai said. “I worry about my friends.”

Naruto couldn’t help but to smile at that. He slapped Sai’s shoulder. “Thanks, man. But I and Sasuke are cool.”

And while he said that, the truth was that he was less convinced with that answer.

Sai didn’t say anything else and that was it.

***

Naruto was walking home, biting the end of his straw attached to his half-drunk orange juice box. The evening sky had greeted him, bringing forth the hints of dark blue to indicate that night sky was just about to appear. He took in a deep breath, his mind wandering from one moment to another. He let go of the end of the straw and sighed. 

While the trip with Sai had been nice, what he really wanted was to speak to Sasuke again. It had been three days now officially since he had last even seen him. And it was odd. There was this prominent feeling of loneliness in his chest and it grew the longer he didn’t interact with Sasuke. 

It would’ve made him laugh at how intertwined his life had been with the Alpha if not for the fact that he liked it that way. And suddenly having the pale-skinned man to withdraw from him without an explanation—it was like he was dumped with cold water. 

He stopped walking when his heart ached in his chest. 

He missed Sasuke. 

“Fuck,” Naruto whispered under his breath. 

Just as he said that, his phone chimed from his pant pockets. His breath hitched in his throat when he saw it was a message from the very boy he had been thinking about. Fumbling with his device, he flipped open his phone and clicked through his messages. And there it was. 

‘ _I’m coming over_.’

It was just one small sentence but it was as if Sasuke had returned from a place he couldn’t reach. His heart began beating loudly against his chest as some kind of buzz made itself known underneath his skin. Sipping the rest of his orange juice, he shoved his phone into his pant pockets and _ran_ home. 

He had a huge grin on his face as he rushed to his apartment, pushing the door wide open without any ceremony. Iruka, who had been ready to go outside, yelped in shock at Naruto’s entrance. 

“What—Naruto—”

“Sasuke will be here soon,” Naruto tossed over his shoulders as he rushed to his room. 

Once inside, he paused. He just came back from practise and this was the first time he would be seeing the Alpha after a while. A giddy feeling crawled and settled in his chest as he decided to shower. Tossing his bag carelessly on his desk, he opened his wardrobe and rummaged through his clothes until he found his worn-out orange hoodie and a pair of blue pants. This would do for now. 

His heart hammered against his chest as he went to take a quick shower. Sasuke was about to show up at his place and he wanted nothing more but to hug him when he did. It was at this very moment that he realised how much Sasuke had meant to him. Towelling his head, he got out of the bathroom, fresh and clothed and jogged down to this bedroom. He opened the door, only to freeze when he saw a familiar lump on his bed, back showing to him. 

Sasuke. 

He closed the door as gently as he could, preferring to remain there as he took in his best friend. On his front, Naruto’s pillow buried in his face and wearing a loose shirt and jeans with black socks, there was Sasuke. His giddiness muted a tad to welcome the worry. Sasuke was sleeping on his bed as if he hadn’t gotten enough rest. What had happened for him to look this rundown? 

Sighing lowly, he walked to where Sasuke was and sat at the edge of the bed, placing one leg on the mattress so his body faced him. He hesitated just a brief moment before he pressed a hand on the mop of dark hair, running his fingers through them. There were some knots in them that he accidetally caught on, breath hitching in his throat when Sasuke made a weak noise. 

Naruto listened closely to him breathing, gently patting him twice more before he brought his hand to rest on the broad back. In just two years, Sasuke had seemed to have grown out of the slight baby fat he was clinging onto and quickly turning into a man. It was honestly fascinating, if he was being honest. Naruto, himself, had noticed his own changes to his body like how his hips were no longer that flabby with him taking volleyball and the slight firmness on his abs and legs. 

He couldn’t help the smile. 

He was growing up with Sasuke and it was surreal that he got the chance to do so. 

“Naruto?” Sasuke’s voice broke through his thoughts, causing the Beta to pause. His voice was raspy. 

The Alpha shifted a little, murmuring before he twisted his head to face Naruto, his eyes glazed. Naruto grinned, patting Sasuke’s back twice. 

“Yo,” Naruto said, earning a long stare from the Alpha before his best friend sighed under his breath. “You sleepy?”

“What does it look like, stupid?” Sasuke said, his voice carrying no venom and even if he tried to sound monotonous, it was ruined by the grogginess in his voice. 

It was…cute. Sasuke was cute. 

A mischievous thought crossed his mind. He snickered, not giving the Alpha a chance to understand what was happening when Naruto climbed onto Sasuke’s back, settling over the small of his back near his ass and placed two palms on his shoulders. 

Sasuke jolted then. A few seconds of silence passed before the Alpha twisted his head to look over his shoulders, eyebrows furrowed with some of his black hair covering his sight. “The fuck you trying to do?”

“Nothing,” Naruto said, drawling with the grin still on his face. He bounced on Sasuke’s back twice, earning a sharp noise from the Alpha as he flopped face first into the pillow. 

“That hurts, idiot,” Sasuke said, trying to bat Naruto away with a hand jerking right behind him to swat. 

Naruto merely avoided it, grinning wider until his cheeks hurt. “Nah, it’s comfy right here.”

“Naruto.”

“Sasuke.” Naruto stuck out his tongue when the Alpha once again looked over his shoulders, this time to throw a narrowed gaze at him. “What?”

“Don’t think I can’t kick you out of this bed,” Sasuke warned. 

Challenge accepted. He ran his fingers down to the Alpha’s sides, not even giving a heads up as he dug his nails into Sasuke’s hips. The reaction he received was glorious. Sasuke yelped, squirming a little, his fingers curling into fists on his pillow. Naruto tossed his head back and laughed, the slight mischief turning into full blown evilness. 

“I swear to god, dumbass,” Sasuke said, trying his goddamn hardest to try and swat Naruto away from his sides. “If you don’t get down this instant…”

“You gonna what?” Naruto taunted, having too much fun right now. 

Sasuke growled underneath his breath. “You asked for this.”

Before Naruto could comprehend what that meant, or to even mock his best friend any further, pale fingers with scary precision grabbed Naruto by his wrists, halting him. Then, with a strength he didn’t know his best friend harboured, yanked him to the side and sat up. Naruto’s breath got knocked out of his lungs when the Alpha slammed him on his back on the mattress, said wrists he had held in his fingers tightened as they too were pushed at either side of his head on the soft sheets. In between tan legs, Sasuke now hovered above Naruto with a look he hadn’t seen on his friend before. 

Those dark eyes were clouded in an emotion he couldn’t pin point and around the edges of his orbs were tinges of red. His black hair was now dishevelled, the heavier parted side of his head fell on his right eyes a bit more, making him look feral. 

And embarrassingly, Naruto’s heart skipped a beat and he couldn’t help but want to melt against the sheets. 

Sasuke, at this very moment, radiated power. And the Beta realised he might’ve seen another side to him that he didn’t think existed. 

Any humour about the situation vanished as the air between them shifted and crackled. Their stares held and when Naruto tried to yank his wrists away, Sasuke merely pushed him down harder, his grip tightening. 

“Sasuke…” Naruto said, voice cracking mid-way. 

Sasuke searched his face before a smirk crawled on his face. “I told you to stop, didn’t I?”

Naruto stared at him, unable to comprehend the words he wanted to stay. Underneath him like this, it was as if his entire world had been tipped on its axis. It was…different. When he let out a soft breath, the smirk on his best friend’s face died as if he just realised the position they were in. And instead of letting the Beta go, he shifted to press him down by his lower half, startling the Beta. 

Nervous, Naruto said, “Okay, you made your point. Let me go.”

He tried struggling but the Alpha merely kept him there, unfazed. When then Sasuke lessened the distance between them, stealing his breath again. Hovering above him, Naruto’s eyes threatened to cross when their noses brushed. He could count the times they had kissed. But this was the first time it would be on a bed, in this position and if that didn’t scare him, he didn’t know what will. 

And yet, amidst the fear, there were bubbles of excitement at this new territory. 

Sasuke brushed his nose against him again a few times, each time had Naruto fluttering his eyes closed and open. And on his third swipe, the Alpha leaned in closer until his breath brushed against Naruto’s lips. 

“I want to kiss you,” Sasuke whispered against him. 

Naruto’s heart skipped a beat and he couldn’t deny that he wanted it too. He just didn’t know how to say it and how to act. The Alpha didn’t press his lips against his own though. He seemed content to hover above him like this and it took a while for Naruto to understand that he was waiting for either a verbal confirmation or denial. His heart tightened as those dark eyes met his blue ones again, sharp and calculating but all the same understanding. 

And Naruto smiled then, wanting to give in. 

“Can I?” Sasuke whispered again. 

“Let me go,” Naruto said, nudging at his bound wrists. 

The Alpha immediately unwrapped his fingers from the tan skin. That was when he looped his arms around the pale neck and brought him close, pressing their mouths together. Sasuke froze only a second before he pressed a forearm against the mattress and the other hand buried into his blond hair, kissing him back. 

And maybe it was because Naruto had time to slowly understand his emotions and feelings for Sasuke but it tasted sweeter. It tasted better. And while they did fumble as they tried to shift their heads and bumping their noses and teeth together once in a while, earning a wince and laughs, they were echoed between the quiet they shared. 

By a tongue swipe on his bottom lip, Naruto paused, unsure of what to do. Pulling away, he took in a deep breath at the blush on Sasuke’s face. Pale fingers that had been caressing his hair had moved to touch his jaw. 

“Open your mouth,” Sasuke said, his voice quiet but they were nevertheless laced with cautiousness. 

Naruto blinked, butterflies in his stomach. Curiously and with the amount of trust in Sasuke, he opened his mouth. “Like this?”

Sasuke chuckled, pressing a kiss at his cheek, nodding. And then he said, “Trust me.”

Naruto tightened his grip on Sasuke’s neck, bringing a hand to caress his cheek before brushing some strands of dark hair from his eye. “Of course.”

Sasuke gave him then a smile so beautiful that Naruto felt pride bubbling in his chest for putting that on his face. Before he could revel in it, Sasuke pressed a thumb at his bottom lip, prying his lips apart and slotted this mouth together. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, another hand grabbed his best friend’s shoulder tight in his grasp at the weird sensation. When Sasuke pressed his tongue into his mouth, the Beta squirmed and made a weird noise at the back of his throat.

It wasn’t that weird but it had him pausing, unsure of what to do. Gently, Sasuke caressed his jaw, tilting his head back just a tad before he took control of their kiss, stealing away his rationality. The weirdness melted away as Naruto tried to follow what Sasuke was doing with his tongue. They were breathing harshly as they continued to kiss. At a particular swipe in his mouth, Naruto keened into it. He pushed Sasuke away to grab some air, breathing harshly when the Alpha moved away just a little. 

Before Naruto could say anything, the Alpha slotted their mouths together again, plunging his tongue back into his mouth and taking away his ability to think. Naruto scrambled to return the favour, back arching just a tad. His heart hammered against his chest and only when he really needed air did they parted ways. 

Naruto took in harsh breaths, his mind scrambling to come back to the present and what had happened. Sasuke licked his own bottom lip before a hand reached to brush away blond hair from his forehead. The Alpha leaned forward and pressed a kiss on his forehead before pressing on his nose and then at the corner of his mouth. Sasuke then placed a hand to small of the Beta’s back and the other underneath his head, burying his head against the juncture between his shoulder and neck. 

The Beta didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms and legs around the taller boy, burying his face against the mop of black hair and pressing a chaste kiss on his ear. His heart was still hammering against his chest and he could still taste Sasuke on his tongue and the warmth washing over him and…he loved it. 

It was something he wasn’t used to but he liked it. 

“How the hell did you learn how to kiss?” Naruto whispered against him as the thought crashed into his mind. He tightened his grip on his best friend at the thought Sasuke might have had experience. 

As if Sasuke had read his mind, he tightened his grip on the blond-haired boy. “Fantasised it for so long.”

Naruto’s breath hitched in his throat. “What?”

“Yeah.”

It seemed that was as far Sasuke was going to say about the matter so Naruto let the subject rest, not when he wasn’t ready to know what else Sasuke thought about. Instead, his heart warmed and he grinned against the broad shoulders. 

“I like you,” Naruto said, his voice coming out quieter than he intended to. 

Sasuke froze against him before he melted into his embrace. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Naruto said without missing a beat. He allowed it when Sasuke moved away from his hug to hover above him again. His heart skipped a beat as the dark eyes bored into his blue ones. “I like you. A lot.”

The corners of the dark-haired boy’s lips quirked upwards as his eyes softened. A pale hand once more brushed through his hair. “Yeah.”

A huffed breath escaped his lips when Sasuke went back to hugging him, this time he lay completely on him and his head on the Beta’s chest. Amused, he held Sasuke back by wrapping his arms acorns his shoulders. 

“Tired?” Naruto said, the haze from their kiss fading just a tad as he took in how cuddly Sasuke was against him. 

Another thing he didn’t know about Sasuke. How touchy he was. 

“Yeah,” Sasuke said, shortly. “Let me rest like this.”

“Okay,” Naruto said, shrugging. He wouldn’t mind it. And after so long, he preferred if his best friend remained him like this for some time. “You’ll tell me what’s been happening after this, right?”

Sasuke tensed against him. Naruto guessed he would need to be fighting against him to know the truth but the Alpha had promised. And he really wanted to know. He held his breath, waiting for an answer. It was only when he got a quiet nod against his chest that he finally relaxed underneath the weight. 

“Sleep now, bastard,” Naruto teased, earning a snort. “You’re going to look ugly if you keep looking half-dead.”

“Does that mean I look good other times?” Sasuke said, wrapping an arm around the tan boy’s waist. 

Cheeks warming, Naruto could only say, “Maybe in your dreams. Asshole, go to sleep.”

***

The nap had lasted until dinnertime much to Iruka’s dismay. At the end, his adoptive father made them a classic Japanese dinner and brought it to their room, chatting with them a little bit before leaving them alone. Naruto munched on a fried mushroom before shovelling some rice into his mouth, earning a click of a tongue from his best friend. A tissue was tossed at his face, earning a squawk from the Beta. 

Naruto grabbed it, wiping his mouth before tossing a stink eye at the Alpha. 

“You could’ve just wiped my mouth,” Naruto said with a pout. 

Sasuke rolled his eyes, grabbing a tomato that Iruka had prepared just for him and munched on it. After a beat, he said, “I’ll do that when you’re mine officially.”

Naruto choked on his rice at that, his cheeks warming. Sasuke smirked as he handed a glass of water to the Beta. Tan fingers grasped on the cool surface and swallowed the water. He took in ragged breaths, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He eyed the Alpha from across the small fold-up table that was set up on the space between the bed and his study table. 

“What the hell, Sasuke?” Naruto said, voice raspy. 

Sasuke didn’t dignify that with an answer, simply going back to eating. 

Naruto took a minute to gather his bearings, his cheeks heating up at the flash of kiss they shared just hours ago. Munching on his food, his mind went back to Sasuke’s complexion. It looked tad better than before which was good. 

“So,” Naruto said, ready to poke at the elephant in the room. “What happened to you?”

Sasuke paused in his chopsticks reaching at a fried mushroom. His dark eyes flitted at Naruto’s face before he looked back at his bowl of rice. 

“I’m eating,” Sasuke said. 

“Sasuke,” Naruto said, his voice nearing a whiny tone. “You said you would tell me after whatever it is you had to do.”

Sasuke huffed under his breath. He then placed his bowl of rice and chopsticks on the table, meeting his blue eyes. At that, the Beta sat straighter, noticing the shift in the air between them. While he knew that he was opening this topic in the middle of their dinner, he was already at the end of his patience. He needed to know what was happening to the boy he liked. 

Even if it hurt to see that Sasuke was still hesitating. 

“I had my rut.” Sasuke’s gaze didn’t waver as he stared at Naruto, not even when the deafening silence washed over them immediately after. 

Rut. Sasuke had been in a rut. Naruto dropped his chopsticks on the table, clattering and startling him in the process. He took in a sharp breath as he broke their gaze, gathering the sticks before they dropped on the floor. Rut. Of course. 

Sasuke was an Alpha. 

Ruts were a natural part of the process. 

Ruts. Sasuke. He had ruts. 

His brain took its time wrapping itself around the thoughts. 

“Rut,” Naruto said, testing the words on his tongue. “Ah, right.”

Sasuke sighed under his breath. “Yeah. That’s why.”

“And…you couldn’t just have told me?” Naruto asked, curiously. “You hid it away like some secret.” His breath hitched in his throat as a particular memory flashed in his mind. “You told me I wouldn’t understand.”

Sasuke thinned his lips for a second before he said, “I shouldn’t have said that.”

Naruto would agree. “Yeah,” Naruto said, frowning. “Yeah, you shouldn’t have.”

Sasuke remained quiet for a bit before he looked at the Beta in the eyes, “It’s my first rut. I had a lot on my plate and…” He cleared his throat, glancing down to the table before meeting his eyes again. “I had to stay away from you.”

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, offended. “Sorry for being there, then, bastard.”

Sasuke huffed a breath. “That isn’t what I meant.”

The Beta raised his eyebrows as he scrunched his nose, picking a mushroom to munch on as he glared at the boy he liked. The boy who had kept secrets from him and he honestly didn't like it. 

“Yeah, then what did you mean?” Naruto questioned. “You tried to avoid me when you’re about to go into a rut. What does that even mean?” He pursed his lips, a horrid thought crossed his mind. He glanced away, continuing to eat his mushroom. 

“Naruto,” Sasuke said. “I didn’t mean it for it to come across that way. I just couldn’t be around you.” He sighed. “My nose sensitivity increases then. It gets hard.”

The Beta frowned. “What are you trying to say?”

Sasuke stared at him, deadpanned. “Do you really want me to say it, idiot?”

“Oi!” Naruto slammed his chopsticks on the table, shaking the contents on the table. “You’re the one avoided me like a plague. You couldn’t have said you were in a rut and you told me I wouldn’t understand you. What the hell am I supposed to think? I know I’m a Beta, Sasuke.”

The Alpha tilted his head back, as if he was contemplating something which irritated Naruto further. When he was about to retort, the Alpha met his gaze once more. “If I was near you when I was in my rut, I would want nothing more but to want you.”

The words were like a bucket of cold water doused over him. His face grew hot as he blinked at his best friend. “W-What?” he choked out. 

“I said,” Sasuke said, pressing his forearms on the table and leaning forward. “The reason I tried to avoid you is because I can smell you better and you have no goddamn idea how good you smell to me.”

Naruto leaned back, his throat drying at the words. He rubbed the back of his neck, noting that his skin was warm from it. These words were new to him. He had never heard from anyone that his scent smelt good. It was almost farfetched. 

“You avoided me because you wanted me?” Naruto said, crafting the words carefully, earning a nod from the Alpha that had his heart clenching tight in his chest. “Oh.”

Sasuke sighed under his breath, picking up his chopsticks. He grabbed a fried mushroom and placed it on Naruto’s bowl, pointing at it. “Eat.”

Naruto quietly did what he was told, halfway about to put the fried mushroom into his mouth when he paused, staring at it. “Then why did you still come around? And bring me food?” After a beat, he added with furrowed eyebrows, “I noticed you keep feeding me since we met.”

Much to his curiosity and slight amusement albeit in this weird situation, Sasuke’s cheeks pinked. The dark eyes landed on his bowl of rice, not making a move to say anything for a few seconds. The Alpha then cleared his throat. 

“You don’t have good eating habits,” Sasuke said. “Thought I’d do you a favour.”

“Bastard!” Naruto said, mildly offended as he roughly munched on his fried mushrooms. “I have good eating habits.”

“If you count ramen and bag of chips, I doubt it,” Sasuke said with a careless shrug, the pink on his face leaving to bring back his pale skin. 

Naruto let that topic go. If that was why Sasuke was doing it, then he supposed he would allow it. Because didn’t that mean Sasuke cared for him? The very thought sent butterflies to swarm in his stomach, giddiness washing over himbefore they quickly died at a particular burning question that flashed into his mind. 

“Ruts,” Naruto said, catching Sasuke’s attention. “You presented, then.”

Sasuke hummed under his breath. “Have presented for about a year or so.”

Naruto blinked, surprised. “What?”

Sasuke nodded, as if it wasn’t a big deal that he didn’t tell Naruto that he had presented. Naruto sat on his knees, placing his chopsticks back on the table, eyes searching his face. Another secret. Sasuke kept another secret from him. 

“It’s not a big deal, Naruto,” Sasuke said as if he had read his mind. “I’m still the same.”

“But you didn’t tell me,” Naruto said, his voice coming out a bit tense than he intended it to be. “You kept it a secret.”

“I didn’t,” Sasuke said. “I just didn’t think it was necessary to tell you. I just woke up one day to a brief rut and then was put on suppressants.”

“Suppressants,” Naruto said, testing the word out as well. “You didn’t tell me you were on suppressants either.”

Sasuke sighed then. “What do you want to know, Naruto?”

“About major things that has been happening in your life, Sasuke!” Naruto slammed a fist on the table, frowning. “You kept that a secret too, the heck, man?”

“And what would you have done if I told you?” Sasuke tossed a question back at him, voice still calm but nevertheless had an undercurrent of irritation in them. 

Naruto paused before he huffed a breath. “It’s not what I would do anything about it. It’s just the matter of knowing. I’m your best friend, you jerk!”

“That doesn’t mean I have to tell you _everything_ ,” Sasuke said, snapping. “So what if I went through a rut? It doesn’t change anything. Not between us.”

Silence washed into the scene for a moment before Naruto sat back down on the floor properly, dragging his hands to his lap as he glared at his best friend. Bitterness crawled and settled at the depths of his chest at the words. To him, it almost felt like Sasuke didn’t want to tell him because he wouldn’t understand. 

“Because I’m not an Omega?” Naruto questioned, earning a sharp look from his best friend. “Because it’s not about anything changing, Sasuke. It’s about knowing what’s important in someone you deem important’s life.”

Sasuke crossed his arms against his chest as he leaned against the bed frame. “It’s not because you’re not an Omega. That is the furthest from the truth.” After a beat, he sighed, tilting his head back for a second. “Fine, I’ll tell you from now on if I’m going through anything like that, okay?”

Naruto rolled his eyes, irritation still brewing underneath his skin. “Yeah, that sounds _real_ convincing when you say it like that.”

“Oi,” Sasuke said, catching his gaze. “I’m trying here.”

“Yeah? Well, try not to keep secrets from your best friend, okay?” Naruto said, his shoulders relaxing when Sasuke nodded, his eyebrows furrowed. 

“I won’t,” Sasuke said, his voice dripping in sincerity. When Naruto only looked at him warily, he said, “Naruto, I won’t. I won’t hide anymore secrets from you. At least, not things that are this big from now on.”

“Really?”

Sasuke nodded again.

There wasn’t any apology shared from either of them. And Naruto supposed that had always been the way things were. Still, he let the topic go for now, his appetite gone. He pushed his bowl of rice away from him as he placed both palms on the floor and tilted his head up. 

“How…” Naruto started, keeping his gaze on the ceiling. “How did you spend your rut?” 

Sasuke released a soft breath. “Alone. Thinking mostly about you.”

Naruto’s heart skipped a beat, his face heating up as he ducked his head to look at the ground. Then, he looked at Sasuke. “No Omegas?” he tried joking but it feel flat when his heart seized at that thought. 

Because ruts were most often than not taken care by an Omega. He curled his fingers into fists on the floor as he avoided Sasuke’s gaze. 

“No Omegas,” Sasuke said, his voice calm. “Not ever.”

Naruto nodded. “Just asking.” Feeling bitter still, he added, “Since you kept secrets from me.”

“Is this going to be a problem?” Sasuke said, mild exasperation melting in his words causing Naruto to sit up properly to glare at his best friend again. 

“You tell me.” Naruto stood up, grabbing his bowl of rice before he pointed at Sasuke’s food. “You gonna eat?”

The Alpha stared at him before he nodded, grabbing his chopsticks. Irritated again, the blond-haired boy grabbed his unfinished plates and walked out of his room, slamming the door harsher than necessary. He went to the kitchen and dumped his food in the bin nearby, slamming his stuff on the sinks before he took in a deep breath. He was no longer fifteen. He was seventeen and in a couple of months, they would be hitting senior year and then onto a new field. He liked Sasuke but he had to admit, he didn’t know more of his important parts of his life. 

Heck, he had never been to Sasuke’s place either. Who was his parents? Why couldn’t Sasuke invite him for once?

And the whole rooftop debacle where Sasuke basically made a new friend and didn’t even tell him about it and then proceeded to reject the idea that he liked anyone. 

His heart clenched in his chest. 

Taking in a deep breath, he cleaned up his plate and then grabbed an orange box from the fridge before he walked back into his room. Sasuke was clearing up, standing up to hand them to Naruto who only took it without another word. It was another twenty minutes later before the Beta found himself sitting against the wall on his bed, reading a comic while ignoring Sasuke who was sitting next to him, body facing him with his face on his palm. 

“Are you going to keep ignoring me?” Sasuke asked. 

“Fuck off, man,” Naruto said, bitter still. “You clearly don’t think I’m important enough.”

Sasuke sighed. “Stupid.”

Naruto threw his comic at Sasuke’s chest, anger now bubbling in his chest. “Yeah, I’m stupid. Stupid enough to think you would think to tell me about these things. You didn’t even tell me you had a new friend.”

“You sound like a jealous—” he stopped himself, almost like he knew that Naruto would be offended.

And offended he was. 

He flicked a middle finger at Sasuke as he tried to get out of his bed to leave. Sasuke immediately grabbed his wrist, pulling him down to sit next to him. “Naruto…”

His name was spoken in a way that has him huffing a breath, his heartbeat skipping a beat in both anger and fluster. He glared sideways at his best friend. “What?”

“I just didn’t want you to worry.” Sasuke whispered at him. 

Naruto thinned his lips. “You did make me worry. You could’ve just _told me_. I would’ve backed away.”

“You just asked if I would take on an Omega during my rut, Naruto,” Sasuke said. “When I’ve told you before I hate how they smell. Do you think I’d let them anywhere near me during a rut?” When Naruto opened his mouth, the Alpha grabbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger, forcing the Beta to look at him in the eyes. “I thought about you, stupid. I thought about you while I was going through my rut. There’s no one else.”

Naruto stared into the dark orbs, trying to catch him out of a lie. One that he couldn’t find. His shoulders slumped then, the anger draining out of him to welcome the hurt. “I believe you,” Naruto said. “I’m just…”

“I’ll tell you next time,” Sasuke said, tilting his head until their gazes held. “Okay?”

Naruto held out his pinkie finger. “Promise?”

Sasuke glanced down before his lips twitched up into a brief smile. “Are you a kid?”

“Sasuke,” Naruto whined. 

The Alpha rolled his eyes before he let Naruto’s face to hook his own pinkie finger with his tan one. “Promise.”

“Don’t break it,” Naruto said. “You’ll tell me.”

“I will.”

The Beta nodded before he poked Sasuke’s right shoulder. “So, about your next rut, when will that be?”

“Next year.” At the confused look on the Beta’s face, Sasuke said, “My suppressants hold them off for most of the year. I only need to go into a rut once a year.” 

Naruto blinked, a little awed at what medication can do to someone. “Isn’t that intense? To just go through it once a year?”

Sasuke shrugged. “I did it fine this time around. It’ll get easier, I guess.”

Naruto searched his face before nervousness bubbled within him. “How…What if you decide you need a partner in the future to take care of your rut?”

The Alpha tensed at the question. Silence washed in the scene then as Naruto waited for his best friend to say something. It might be a loaded question but it seemed necessary to him. After all, they weren’t _just_ friends. They had something else between them and Naruto didn’t want to cross the line to the other side if he was going to be replaced. And if that wasn’t a horrible thought. 

“Then that’ll be you,” Sasuke said, making Naruto’s breath hitch in his throat. The Beta stared wide-eyed at his best friend. “Not now. Not even for a few years, if I’m being honest. But…if we last long enough…I only want you.”

“I’m a Beta…” Naruto bit his inner cheek at that. “How could I?”

“We’ll figure it out,” Sasuke said as he placed a hand on Naruto’s knee, squeezing it. “And only if you want it. I don’t mind handling it myself. It isn’t that hard.” After a beat he added, “Just give me a picture of you and I’ll be fine.”

“Fucking perverted asshole,” Naruto said but it was without venom. It earned a brief smirk from Sasuke though, easing the tension between them. “You sure I would be enough?”

Sasuke nodded without hesitation. He placed a hand on his blond head. “How many times do I have to tell you that I thought about you during my rut?”

Cheeks warming, the worry in his chest lessened as a grin crawled on Naruto’s face. He slapped the pale hand away from his hair. “I just wanted to make sure.” 

The Alpha didn’t say anything else, retreating his touch from the Beta. “As for the friend on the rooftop…She just started bugging me. I didn’t consent to the friendship.”

“But you let her stay,” Naruto said, though he sounded less offended now. “You also told her you didn’t have anyone you liked.”

“It’s none of her business,” Sasuke retorted. “It’s no one’s business who I like. I prefer to keep you to myself. It’s not that I want to hide you.”

Naruto searched his face. “Will I get to meet your friend?”

“No.” 

The answer was said quickly, as if Sasuke had anticipated he would ask that. Naruto thought he would recoil from it, but he didn’t. Instead, he just let that sink into his head before he nodded. Even if it didn’t make him feel good. 

“I prefer hanging out with you more,” Sasuke said. “You don’t need to meet them because I’d be with you anyway.”

Naruto sighed. “Not because you don’t want to introduce me to them?”

“They’re annoying,” Sasuke said, a bit sour. “I want to keep you mine and only mine. And I’d rather be with you.”

Surprised at the answer, he barked out a short laugh. That had Sasuke relaxing his shoulders as he rolled his eyes at Naruto. He accepted the answer regardless, deciding to let it go. At the end, he nodded, nudging Sasuke away from him before he stood up, hands on his hips. 

“Wanna game with me?” he questioned the Alpha, only receiving a snort from him. 

“Sure,” Sasuke said at the end, taking the comic that had been lying on his lap since Naruto threw it at him and placed it aside. “Let’s kick your ass.”

“Oi!” Naruto grinned as he went to grab his controllers, tossing one at Sasuke. “Watch me beat ya!”

***

After Sasuke’s rut, their dynamic went back how it had been. They began hanging out again and much to Naruto’s relief, things hadn’t changed. Currently, he was sipping on his orange juice, composing a message to the captain of his volleyball team as he made his way to the lit room. Sliding the door open, his heart skipped a beat when he saw Sasuke, sitting at the couch and reading a book as he had one elbow on the arm of the couch and his other hand flipping through the pages. 

“Whatcha reading?” Naruto said, shoving his phone back into his uniform pant pockets once he confirmed his attendance to volleyball practise and bounded to where his best friend was. 

Sitting next to him with a flop, he tossed an arm across the back of the couch and leaned in close to stare at what his best friend was reading. Sasuke tilted his book a little closer to the Beta before he snorted under his breath and slammed it shut. Naruto whined as he placed his chin on the Alpha’s shoulder, eliciting a poke from Sasuke. He pulled away, rubbing his forehead where he was poked, tossing a mock glare at him. 

“Boring stuff,” Sasuke said, answering his previous question. He showed the front cover of the book to the Beta. “As per usual.”

It was another one of those business savvy books that Naruto couldn't wrap his mind around it. He made a sound as he slumped back onto the other side of the couch, placing a leg over Sasuke’s lap that earned a jolt from the other boy when he shook his legs. 

“Business,” Naruto said. “You told me that once you would be studying business.”

Sasuke hummed. “Yes.”

Naruto smiled. “Sounds nice that you know what to do.” He raised himself on his elbows. “And you like it, right?”

“I do.” Sasuke gave him a smile before he tossed Naruto’s legs away from his lap, bending down to grab his bento box. He handed it over to Naruto. “Eat.”

Naruto sat up, taking it from him before he opened the lid. His mouth watered at the food, already digging into the sweet omelette roll. “Hey, Sas, why don’t you ever invite me to your place?” he asked with his mouthful.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, stupid,” Sasuke said. After a beat, he leaned into the couch and shrugged. “There’s nothing exciting at home.”

Naruto blinked before he rolled his eyes. “I wanna see your room, bastard. Wanna know if it’s as clean as I think it is.”

Sasuke tilted his head to look at the Beta, a smirk crawling on his face. “You think about me a lot?”

Naruto choked on his mouthful of rice, coughing a bit which earned a low sigh from the Alpha before his abandoned orange juice box was thrusted into his hands. Sipping it, he took in shuddering deep breathes before he pointed his chopsticks at the Alpha.

“I’m just curious!” Naruto exclaimed with a raspy voice, coughing a few more times before he could breathe easy. “You always come by to my room. I wanna go to your room too.”

Sasuke hummed, dropping his gaze to his book before he opened it to a page to read. “I’ll think about it.”

Naruto huffed. “Secrets again, I see.”

Sasuke tensed at that, snapping his head up to look at him. Naruto merely raised his eyebrows, waiting for a rebuffing. Sasuke at the end rubbed a finger down his nose. “Fine, come over this weekend. If you want to get bored.”

Beaming, Naruto picked up a shrimp and said, “I’m so coming over, you better believe it!” Sasuke opened his mouth to retort when Naruto shoved the shrimp into his mouth, grinning when the Alpha recoiled like he was being choked. Chuckling as the Alpha ate it, tossing a death glare at the blond-haired boy, Naruto said, “I’m so excited.”

“Idiot,” Sasuke said. “Are you trying to kill me with those chopsticks?”

“Hey, don’t be mad at me,” Naruto said. “I’m trying to be affectionate to the guy I like.”

Sasuke closed his mouth shut before his face softened, just a smidgen. Then, the asshole-like smirk crawled on his face. Pale fingers tapped at his mouth. “You can be affectionate by kissing me instead.”

Naruto made mock gagging noises as he went back to eating. “In your dreams.”

“Stupid,” Sasuke murmured, earning a ‘Jerk!’ from Naruto. After a beat he said, “How’s your volleyball practise?”

Naruto blinked before he sat straight, grinning. Swallowing his food, he said, “We’re having our first game in four weeks! Things are going great and my teammates are really nice. We’re even going out later after practise.” Just as he said that, he saw the Alpha furrow his eyebrows and he realised what he had done. “Oh, shoot. We go home together.” 

Sasuke sighed, leaning further into his couch before he shook his head. “Go ahead. I can see you later. Or call me.”

The slight tightness in his chest loosened before he smiled, relief washing over him. “You should come see me practise, Sasuke!”

“Gross,” Sasuke said. 

“Oi!” Naruto said, pouting. “Don’t be mean, asshole. Don’t you like me? You’re supposed to take interest in things I like, you know.”

“Am I?” Sasuke said, humming as he went back to reading.

“Bastard,” Naruto said, smiling a little as he finished the bento box. It was only when the school bell rang to indicate break was over and them packing up did Sasuke stop him with a light touch on his wrist. Turning to look at his best friend, he went, “Yeah?”

“What time is your practise?” Sasuke asked. 

Naruto searched his face before he grinned. “After school. I’ll pick you up from your class if you want.”

Sasuke scratched the back of his neck before he nodded. And that earned a boisterous laugh from the Beta before Naruto jumped on him into a hug. Sasuke immediately flailed his arms in shock before he said, “Naruto, you dumbass! I’m holding shite.”

“Hug me back, asshole!”

Sasuke sighed before he did, burying his face against his shoulders. And they remained like that for a bit, Naruto melting into him as his smiled dimmed as more warmth washed over him. He really liked Sasuke. And…he was starting to want things between them to progress further.

***

Just as he suspected, Sasuke followed him to his practise. Naruto had to leave him at the bleachers located just above the court as he went to change, humming happily. By the time practise had started, his mind was totally focused to the mock game they were doing, enjoying the roughhousing some of his teammates were doing in between breaks. 

Sweating, when he was close to being done with practise, he turned to look at Sasuke who was leaning against the rails, smirking down at him. The Beta tossed a wave and a grin, earning a small wave before dark eyes landed on his phone, doing something. A second later, he met the blue eyes and shook his phone. 

“Ah,” he said under his breath as he nodded, jogging to his bag at the sidelines and grabbed it, rummaging through for his phone. Taking the device out, there it was, a message from Sasuke. It was a simple, ‘You gonna be done soon?’ Naruto jogged back to the side of court until he could see the Alpha and texted back a, ‘Yeah.’

Sasuke glanced down at his phone before he replied in the message, “Then I’m heading home first. Call me when you’re done hanging out with your teammates.”

He paused, about to type a response when one of his teammates jogged up to him and tossed an arm across his shoulders, shaking him. Naruto glanced at him before he tossed his grin at him. “What?” he asked his teammate. 

“Who’re you textin’?” the man asked as he leaned down to look at his phone. “‘Bastard’?”

Chuckling, Naruto tilted his head up and pointed at Sasuke, who was looking down at them without a smirk anymore. “That. My best friend.”

His teammate glanced up before he whistled. “Aren’t you the infamous Uchiha?”

Naruto blinked, turning to look at his teammate who waved at Sasuke before looking back at the Beta. “You know Sasuke?”

“Sasuke? That’s his name, huh?” His teammate shrugged. “He’s the talk of the year with us seniors.”

Naruto received another text then causing him to tear his attention from his teammate to his phone. ‘I’m heading home then.’ The Beta quickly snapped his head up to say, “Wait! Sasuke! Come down here.”

Sasuke paused, already straightened up to leave. He furrowed his eyebrows, a frown etching on his lips. Naruto simply waved him down here. Sasuke tossed his head back a bit before he tapped the railing twice and pushed himself way, disappearing from Naruto’s sight. 

“Yo, how long have you been friends with that dude for?” his teammate, Haru, asked. 

“Since we were in last year of junior high school,” Naruto said, smiling as pride washed over him at another whistle escaping the taller man’s lips. 

“That long, huh?” he said, patting the Beta’s shoulders. “Say, does he have a girlfriend?” 

Naruto tensed for a second before he gave out a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. “Ah, I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Haru let him go before placing both of his palms on his shoulders to make Naruto look at him properly. “Well, whatever. Look at you being friends with a hotshot. I bet all the girls surround you both. So lucky!”

“Well,” Naruto said, shrugging though mildly uncomfortable with that insinuation. It was when footsteps echoed closer behind him that the Beta turned his gaze over his shoulders and relaxed when it was Sasuke. “You’re here.”

“Hn,” the Alpha said, grasping Naruto’s elbow and prying him away from Haru’s touch, just a tad. “Why am I here, idiot?”

“Bastard,” Naruto said, grinning as he gently nudged Sasuke’s leg. “I’m here to introduce you two. This is Haru-senpai and Haru-senpai, this is Sasuke.”

“Uchiha,” Sasuke corrected Naruto without hesitation. “Haru-senpai.” The Alpha seemed to add that as if it was an afterthought. 

Haru though didn’t look offended. Instead, he grinned and held out his hand. “Nice to meet ya, handsome,” he said. 

Sasuke eyed the hand before he made a noise, shoving his own hands in his pant pockets, not making a move to hold his hand back. “I have to leave. See you, Naruto.” 

Blinking at the exchange, Sasuke walked away, leaving him under Haru’s gaze. “Ah,” Naruto said quickly at his senior, hoping that didn’t damage his impression on his best friend. “Sorry! Sasuke isn’t used to talking to people and—”

“Ah, no worries,” Haru said, chuckling as he slapped Naruto’s back. “I have friends like him.” His eyes sparkled. “I’m going to befriend him and see if he would like to join us in the game afterparty.”

“Eh?” Naruto frowned, not liking the idea very much. “Sasuke doesn’t really like—”

“Just think about all the girls that’ll come to the party if he’s there, Uzumaki,” Haru said as he slapped his shoulder again with a big grin. “Anyway, come on, let’s finish our practise.”

The Beta was left standing there with an unamused expression on his face, watching the disappearing back of his senior as he rejoined his other friends on the court. Tossing a glance at the entrance of the court, he sighed.

***

It bothered him. 

What Haru said bothered him. 

He didn’t befriend Sasuke because of his face or how much attention he garnered. In fact, he would go as far as to say that the latter part of the package being friends with Sasuke wasn’t fun. Sure, if he didn’t like Sasuke, there might be a chance he would even end up being jealous at how he could get someone to look at him without even moving a finger. But reality stood that he liked Sasuke and as the time ticked by, the closer he wanted to be with him. 

And being put in the middle like what Haru did left him bitter. 

As he walked home, he grabbed his phone from his hoodie pockets. The hanging-out after the practise had been nice but after an hour, all he wanted was to go home and talk to Sasuke. Looking at the messages they exchanged this evening, he didn’t hesitate to call the very Alpha he had been thinking about. 

Two rings later, Sasuke answered with a, “Finished with your hangout?”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, the tiredness from before washing away to welcome the peace he started to like whenever he was with Sasuke. “Whatcha’ doing?”

“Studying,” Sasuke said. “Still studying.”

“Ah, am I disturbing you?” Naruto didn’t think he was but he couldn’t help but the smile anyway when Sasuke scoffed. “No? Great!”

“Stupid,” Sasuke said. “Are you home?”

“No,” Naruto said. “Am walking home. About to reach there, though.”

Sasuke hummed. “It’s late.”

Naruto shrugged. “Yeah, they were having too much fun and then girls from S High came by and it went crazy.” He scratched the back of his neck when there was a dead silence on the other side. “Hello?” Did the line got cut off?

“Ah,” Sasuke said. “I see.”

Naruto frowned, not liking the tone in his best friend’s voice. “Yeah,” he said, carefully. “It was noisy and, to be honest, annoying. One of the girls was nice though. She apparently goes to our school and she was dragged there by her friends without her wanting to.”

“I see,” Sasuke said. “It seems you had fun.”

“It was okay,” Naruto said with a gentle hum. When there was no other questions, his heart tightened in his chest. “Is…everything okay?”

“Hn?” Sasuke didn’t say anything else again and the silence…there was something wrong with it. 

“Okay,” Naruto said, unsure of what to say or what he had said to make this conversation awkward. “Maybe—”

“Are you close with that senior?” Sasuke asked, cutting his words in half. 

“Haru-senpai?” Naruto rubbed his ear. “Not really. I mean he’s nice but.” 

His mood soured when he remembered what his senior had said. 

“He’s annoying,” Sasuke said, something rough in his tone. 

Startled, Naruto frowned. “Come on, man, don’t speak like that. You didn’t even shake his hand, Sasuke. That was rude.”

“Rude?” Sasuke said. “I suppose so. I don’t like him.”

“What? Why?” 

“No reason. I just don’t like him.” Sasuke sighed. “I don’t like it.”

Naruto didn’t know what he was referring to. And it was strange how he didn’t like not being able to see Sasuke. It was a feeling he disliked. “Hate what?”

“Nothing,” the Alpha said. “Nothing. Forget it.”

“Oi,” Naruto said, “you can’t just say that and tell me to forget it.”

“Whatever, just get home, Naruto,” Sasuke said. “You’re going to get mugged out there if you keep using that road going home. I told you to take the main road.”

“It’s quieter here, asshole,” Naruto griped. “And I can protect myself.” 

And it was quieter. There were two roads leading home and he always opted for the one with a narrower roads and abandoned lots. Passing by an abandoned construction site, the silence kept his mind away from the business of the world. It was calming. 

“Hey, Sasuke,” Naruto said. “I wanted to hang out with you.”

“Hn,” the Alpha said. “We can hang out tomorrow. You’re coming over, aren’t you?”

Ah, he forgot! He beamed at that, grinning. “Yeah! I’m so going!”

Sasuke snorted under his breath. And just like that, the strange atmosphere between them broke. “Don’t know what you’re expecting here. It’s just my room.”

“It’s _your_ room,” Naruto said, emphasising on the owner of the space. 

Sasuke huffed a breath and the lightness in their conversation returned. And their conversation about the mundane things accompanied by occasional insults tossed at each other became his companion until he reached home.

***

Sasuke’s place was _big_. He didn’t know what he had been expecting when he was invited to his place but he hadn’t expected a house with two storeys and then an attic. Scratching the back of his neck at the sudden bubbles of nervousness, he took off his shoes at the _genkan_ and looked around the place, taking in the photographs and other trinkets lining the walls. 

It looked lived in but at the same time, held a sheen of cleanliness as if it wasn’t homely _enough_. It was an odd feeling, this place radiated with and he wasn’t sure as to why. Holding his breath, his gaze flitted around the living room as the duo passed by, heading for the stairs. 

“Are your parents home?” Naruto asked as he followed Sasuke to the second floor where his room was. 

“No,” Sasuke said. “They’re on a business trip.”

Naruto blinked, letting that sink in as the Alpha opened his bedroom door and let him in. The second the Beta stepped in, he gasped at the large space greeting him. In the middle of the room, there was a large bed with a few pillows and next to it was bedside table with books and other little items on it. There was a large desk at the other side of the room, located right against a wall adjacent to large windows and a balcony. There was even a small area for beanbags and a couch, Sasuke’s laptop and tablet on the table in front of the seats and a television mounted against the wall opposite of them. 

Naruto whistled, taking in the place before he turned to look at Sasuke with wide eyes. “Dude, this is awesome!” 

Just like he predicted, the place was still neat enough and there weren't any posters on the wall of his favourite bands or shows. 

This room screamed of Sasuke and he liked it. 

Sasuke snorted under his breath, shoving his hands in his sweatpants pockets before he walked to the couch, sitting on it. “It’s normal.”

“Normal?” Naruto said as he sat next to the Alpha, still eyeing the place. “You must think my room is a cave, man!”

“Not really.” Sasuke simply shrugged when the Beta tossed him a disbelieved look. “Smaller spaces are homier.”

The blond-haired boy tilted his head to one side, contemplating on that before he shook his head. He couldn’t really see it that way, not when he was used to living in a small apartment with an even smaller room. But he would just take Sasuke’s word for it. He slapped the Alpha’s arm before he let his body sink into the leather cushions. 

“Ah, this is nice,” Naruto said, closing his eyes for a brief few seconds. 

“You gonna fall asleep?” Sasuke asked with a sigh as the weight next to him dipped and then left. 

The Beta opened his eyes before shaking his head, melting further into the comfortable seat. “Nah,” Naruto said. He furrowed his eyebrows when the Alpha went to his study table and grabbed some books, moving then to sit in front of the coffee table with his back against the couch. “Oi, what’re you doing?”

“Studying,” Sasuke said, earning a whine from the Beta. 

“Seriously?” Naruto said, huffing a breath as he crossed his arms against his chest. “I’m here and you choose to study?”

“It’s either that or,” Sasuke said as he tilted his head back to catch the blue eyes. “Or we make out.”

Naruto’s face warmed at that, not hesitating to slap the back of the Alpha’s head, earning a hiss from the other boy. “Go and study.”

“That hurts, dumbass,” Sasuke said as he rubbed the back of his head, turning his attention back to his book. “Can’t you just stop hitting me?”

Naruto rolled his eyes, watching his best friend’s back before he sighed and moved to sit directly behind the Alpha’s body. He slapped the pale hand from his head and rubbed the spot for him, occasionally running his fingers through the dark hair. The Alpha froze before he melted against his touch, Sasuke hummed once when Naruto pressed at a particular spot on his scalp. 

“So sensitive,” Naruto teased, earning a mock glare from his best friend, making him grin. 

Sasuke pulled away from his touch, leaning forward to grab his book and his pencil, already seeming like he was focused on his work. The Beta huffed, amused as he went back to lay on the couch and stare at the ceiling, not being able to resist nudging the back of Sasuke’s neck with a knee. That earned him a swift slap on his knee before the taller boy continued to study.

Turning to his side, the tan boy stared at his best friend. In just mere minutes, Sasuke had seemed zoned into what he was doing. From here, he looked good being serious. It was unfair just how good looking the boy he liked was in everything he did. From the monotonous mask he harboured to the smiles he would shower Naruto with on rare occasions. And then there were spoiled acts such as grabbing him for a hug or burying his face into the crook of his neck.

All of which never failed to warm him from within in the best way possible. 

He glanced at the book shelves against the wall near Sasuke’s study desk. When he entered the room, he noticed the abundance of books. Sasuke loved reading, that was for sure. His best friend was an enigma—but one who had his life together. 

He was the son to the Uchiha family who would be apparently taking over the family business. 

And…Sasuke wanted it. 

“Hey, Sasuke,” Naruto said, catching a hum from the Alpha as a response. “You have your whole life planned, don’t you?”

Sasuke shrugged. “It is.”

“Don’t you find it suffocating?” Naruto asked, causing Sasuke to pause in his writing. “I mean, don’t you ever think it’ll be more fun to discover things as you go?”

“Not really,” Sasuke said under his breath, sighing. He then leaned against the couch and tilted his head back, meeting Naruto’s eyes. “I knew since young that I want to do what Father does. Taking over the business is just a goal and because there’s a goal, I just have to work towards it.” 

Naruto searched his face. “So, you never dreamt of doing anything else?”

Sasuke shook his head, tilting his head to a side. “I like how things are. I know what I’m going to do and I know where I’m going to go.”

The Beta sat up, placing his chin on his palm as he continued to stare at the Alpha. “Really? What if it doesn’t go the way it’s supposed to go?”

Sasuke sat up straighter before he turned his body to face the Beta sitting on his couch. Placing an arm on the cushion, he grabbed Naruto’s feet, squeezing his toes from outside of his socks. That elicited a jerk of his leg, causing him to snatch them away from Sasuke’s grasp. 

“Then, I’ll find a new path and recalibrate,” Sasuke said. “I know what my end goal is. If I have to take a detour, I will.” He pointed to his books. “For now, I want to be able to get on the very path I need to head there.” He then pointed at Naruto. “You should start thinking what you want to do too.”

Naruto’s eyes widened at the words. “What? I’m only seventeen. We got time!”

“We don’t,” Sasuke said, turning back to his books. “We’re going to be third years soon and then we have to decide which university and what degree we want to pursue. It’s not vacation year until third year, Naruto.”

It was as if the Beta had been doused in cold water. His breath hitched in his throat as the words settled into his brain and making a permanent spot there. 

“I know that,” Naruto said, though weaker than he intended him to sound. 

Sasuke hummed, going back to his studies without glancing back at the Beta, much to Naruto’s relief. His face and ears were hot but they were more so due to embarrassment at the fact that Sasuke had figured out what he wanted. 

It wasn’t that Naruto thought that their second year was a vacation year. It was just…he didn’t have anything he wanted to do. If someone were to ask him to imagine where he would be five years from now, he wouldn’t have anything to answer. Because he just _didn’t know_ what he wanted to do now. 

He scratched the back of his neck, feeling oddly lost. 

As he eyed the back of his best friend’s head, there was also this sense of distance. Suddenly, reality came knocking on his door and he was forced to open it. There were now branches and different paths one had to take. Sasuke was on a journey to what he wanted to do. 

Meanwhile, Naruto was stagnant here, right at this spot. 

A slither of fear crawled and settled in his chest. 

Would Sasuke leave him behind?

He curled his fingers into fists as he slowly let out a breath. 

It was bound to happen. They were growing up. 

So, why did Naruto assume that they would always be together?

Quietly, he let the thoughts ruminate for a while, exhaustion quickly seeping in when a headache threatened to bloom at his temples. He lay back down and stared at the ceiling, tossing an arm across his forehead, lulled by the gentle sounds of pencils scratching on paper and them turning to the left and right. 

Sasuke was different from him and Naruto didn’t know if he liked that or not.

***

The volleyball game was going to be held in their school court. It would be the first match he would be actively participating in and he was, to say the least, excited and nervous about it. As he walked down the school hallway with Haru next to him, he idly let his words wash into him while strategising his moves in his head. An arm was tossed over his shoulders then, yanking him close to a chest and causing him to break out from his thoughts. 

Turning his gaze to his right, he met with a brilliant grin from Haru. 

“Say, we’re so going to win it this year!” he said, tightening his grip on his shoulders. 

Naruto snorted under his breath before he returned the grin, feeling just as pumped. “We’re the best, so of course we will!” 

It was then they took a turn that he recognised the hallway they were in. Haru nudged him before he pointed at Sasuke’s classroom. Naruto turned his attention there only to stop walking when he saw an odd scene. At the entrance of the classroom was the very Alpha he had been meaning to meet later during lunch break, talking to a few girls. One of them in particular was laughing as he stood close to the taller man. 

Closer than Naruto frankly liked. 

His heart squeezed in his chest as ugly acid coloured his thoughts. Immediately, Misaki’s face flashed in his mind and he briefly wondered if this girl was his admirer too. 

“Already getting all the girls,” Haru said, whining in his ears. “Man, how does your friend do it?”

“I don’t know,” Naruto said, words flatter than he intended them to be. “Guess he just has the charm.”

And he did have the charm. Naruto pouted, eyeing the taller boy who didn’t even glance at his direction. Did he not see that he was standing right here? Opening his mouth out of pettiness to disrupt the conversation between him and his newfound friends, Haru did it for him. 

Sasuke snapped his gaze up to Naruto before his eyes landed on his senior next to him. The conversation around the Alpha died as he stood straight and moved out of the circle. Naruto eyed him before he glanced back at the girls, now all ogling him like some stupid candy. He gritted his teeth and took in a deep breath. 

It wasn’t Sasuke’s fault that he was irresistible.

“Senpai,” Sasuke said, slowly before he grabbed Naruto by his arm and pulled him away from Haru’s grasp. He stumbled a bit before he was forced to stand next to the taller boy. When Sasuke kept his grasp on his arm after a tug, tightening, the Beta learned to swallow down his curses and fake a smile at his best friend. “Why are you here?”

Haru hummed before he shoved his hands into his uniform pants pockets. “Just wanna say hi. Plus, seeing my junior being all popular is kinda making me jealous.”

“You can have them,” Sasuke said, crassly. “I have no need for them.”

Haru’s left eyebrows twitched before his grin became sharper. “That’s arrogant, man.”

“Yeah, well,” Naruto said, laughing nervously to break the sudden tension brewing between them. “That’s Sasuke for ya! Anyway, see ya at practise, Haru-senpai! Come on, Sas!”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, tossing a short wave at Naruto’s volleyball senior as he allowed the Beta to drag him away from there. It was only when they were at the abandoned hallway leading to the lit room did Naruto shake the Alpha’s touch away, turning to glare at him. Sasuke merely stared at him with a monotonous mask on his face, hands shoved into his dark uniform pant pockets. 

“That’s rude,” Naruto said. “Don’t be rude to seniors, Sasuke.”

“Don’t let him touch you so much, then,” Sasuke said, not hesitating to shoot back. Naruto blinked at the words before he spluttered. 

“He didn’t touch me much!” Naruto said, flailing his arms. “What the hell?”

“Why was his arm around your shoulders,” Sasuke said, eyebrows raised. “Is that necessary?”

“He was being friendly,” Naruto said, a bit put-out. “Plus, he wants to get to know you.”

The Alpha stared at him for a few seconds longer before he snorted under his breath and walked past the Beta to the lit room. “He just wants to use me to get girls.”

Naruto paused at the thought, cheeks warming as the previous acidic feeling crawled and settled in his chest again. He walked into the lit room, slamming the door shut before he turned and crossed his arms against his chest. 

“You do get a lot of girls’ attention,” Naruto griped, causing the Alpha to stop walking and turn to face him as well. They stared at each other then, Sasuke searching his face before his mask broke to allow a smirk on his lips. Irritated, the Beta snapped, “What?”

“You’re jealous,” Sasuke said, lessening the distance between them until the tips of their shoes met each other. “Aren’t you?”

“Me? No way, bastard!” Naruto lied through his teeth. The last thing he wanted was to raise Sasuke’s ego by a notch or two.The man had enough confidence and arrogance seeping out of him as it was. “You’re not that important.”

Sasuke didn’t look offended. Instead, his smirk widened. He took out a hand from his pockets and placed it at the door next to Naruto’s head, partially trapping him. “I’m not that important?” He leaned in close, their noses almost brushing and setting the Beta’s heart racing. “Really?”

Naruto’s face warmed. He took in a deep breath, squirming a tad when the Alpha’s nose did brush then. The air between them shifted and he remembered the last time Sasuke had kissed him. There were tongues involved and Sasuke looking like he was two-seconds away from doing more than just kissing him. 

Which brought a new dilemma on the table about furthering their relationship.

How the hell did they have sex?

His brain halted at the thought crossed his mind. He immediately placed both hands on Sasuke’s chest, throat drying at the firm muscles underneath his touch. Thanking the fact that he had strength to rival Sasuke’s, he stopped the boy from advancing his face any closer.

“Don’t be cocky, asshole,” Naruto said, though his voice was a pitch higher, much to Sasuke’s amusement if his smirk widening had anything to say. “I…” He huffed a breath. “I want to have girls swarming over me too.”

The seconds those words left his lips, he knew he fucked up. The smirk on Sasuke’s face sharpened and the eyes narrowed. The warmth in his best friend’s gaze died. Before he could take it back, panic washing into his veins, pale fingers left the door to grab onto his chin. Another hand wrapped around his waist. His breath left his lips when Sasuke brought their bodies close together until there wasn’t even a space between them. 

“You,” Sasuke said, voice deadly calm but enough to send shivers running down the Beta’s spine. And he was too freaked out to learn that he didn’t mind the tone, “don’t need anyone else but me.” 

Before Naruto could argue, Sasuke slotted their mouth together, the grip on his chin tightening. Naruto made a small noise at the back of his throat before he kissed him back, hands snaking their way to wrap around the Alpha’s back. Their kiss hadn’t been as intense as it had been the other day in his room, but it still left his mind reeling when Sasuke did pull back, eyeing him. 

“Possessive,” Naruto teased, earning a peck on his lips that had him shutting up. 

“You’re mine,” Sasuke said, a thumb pressing at his bottom lip. “Right?”

“Not yet,” Naruto said, feeling a tad bold to purse his lips and press a brief kiss on Sasuke’s thumb. “Close though.”

Sasuke tensed then, his grip on his waist tightening in a way that had Naruto yelping. He placed a hand on the pale fingers at his hip, eyes widening at the show of strength. He ignored the way heat flared at the bottom of his stomach. He wouldn't think about it now. 

“Dumbass,” Sasuke whispered, pressing his lips against his lips again, just for a second. “Don’t let him touch you so easily.”

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows before he realised what Sasuke was referring to. He huffed a breath, pressing his other hand on Sasuke’s chest, bunching up his shirt. “Yeah, well don’t let those girls touch you either.”

Sasuke’s smirk crawled on his face. “Jealous?”

“Fuck you, man,” Naruto said, finally gathering strength to push him away. Sasuke left him go, unwinding his touch from his body and leaving the Beta cold enough that he wanted those hands back on his body. Again, he ignored that very thought, not sure if he was ready to explore the implication of that need. Instead, he focused on the situation at hand. “Yeah, I’m jealous. So what of it?”

“I’m jealous too,” Sasuke said, causing his heart to skip a beat. “Keep him away from you if you can.”

“He’s in the volleyball team, Sasuke,” Naruto said, rolling his eyes. “Not everyone’s going to be magically into me. Did you forget I’m just a Beta? A fucked up on at that?”

Sasuke frowned. “Don’t say that about yourself.”

Naruto shrugged. Where was the lie though? Sasuke sighed. 

“Just be careful, stupid,” Sasuke said. “You think no one has eyes on you.”

“No one has eyes on me except you,” Naruto said, not even slightly embarrassed to admit that. 

Sasuke raised his eyebrows before he rolled his eyes and went to the couch to sit down. He then gestured at Naruto with a wave of an arm. “Come here.”

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, wondering what he was about to do before he went to stand in front of him. Sasuke didn’t hesitate to wrap his arm around his waist and pull him down onto his lap. Yelping, the Beta immediately touched his shoulders to steady himself, his legs now were on either side of the Alpha’s hips. His face burned and he immediately tried to wiggle his way out. 

Sasuke merely tightened his grip on his waist and pulled him close. The Beta’s breath hitched in his breath, warmth now covering every inch of him as he was this close to the Alpha he liked. His heart beat loudly against his chest. 

“What are you even doing, Sasuke?” Naruto screeched. 

Sasuke winced before he pinched the Beta’s cheek, earning a squawk. Tan hands tried to swat him away only for Sasuke to wrap his arms tighter around him and placed a hand at the back of his head. Pushing Naruto so that his nose was buried against the Alpha’s shoulder, the blond-haired boy froze under his embrace. He gently touched Sasuke’s hips and bunched his shirt in his grasp, blinking. 

“Let me have you like this for a while,” Sasuke said as he buried his face against the junction of his neck. 

A low sigh escaped Naruto’s lips, contemplating if he should allow this or not. Well, this was the abandoned side of the school and it wasn’t like they got caught before. With that in mind, he melted into Sasuke’s arms and smiled, nodding. The grip on his body tightened a fraction more. 

“When’s your volleyball game?” Sasuke asked. 

“Next week, Saturday.” 

Sasuke nodded against him, his nose brushing against his tan skin and eliciting a shiver to run down his spine. Naruto buried himself closer until their chests were touching. 

“I’ll be there,” Sasuke said. 

Naruto’s heart skipped a beat before he nodded, closing his eyes as happiness covered his chest. “You will?” he asked, voice muffled. 

“Hn,” Sasuke said as he patted his back twice. “Have to keep you away from that guy’s wandering hands.”

Naruto snorted under his breath, amused. He tilted his head to face the side of Sasuke’s neck, noting that his skin seemed much more paler here than on his face. He eyed it for a second before he took in a deep breath and pressed his lips against that skin. The Alpha jolted, his grip on his back tightening almost in a way that bordered painful. He winced, pulling away. Sasuke tilted his head away and then turned to look down at him. 

“What?” Naruto whispered. 

Sasuke merely stared at him before he brought a hand to gently cup his face and pull him away from the crook of his neck, tilting his head up. The Alpha then leaned and pressed his lips against his again. Naruto smiled before he kissed him back, burying his fingers into the dark hair and pulled him closer.

***

Sakura eyed him from across the table in their classroom. Naruto, who was currently straddling his chair and a bun in his mouth, merely raised an eyebrow at her. 

After a few seconds of her staring at him, she finally sighed and placed down her pen which she had been scribbling in her notebook. “Something’s up between you and that Uchiha and I don’t know what it is.”

Naruto choked on his breath, quickly grabbing his orange juice box to inhale his drink. Green eyes merely stared at him, unamused. Once the straw started making weird noises, he took in a deep breath and coughed a few times, relieved that he wouldn’t be dying anytime soon because of his favourite melon bun. 

“What?” Naruto said, aiming for innocence. 

“You,” she said, pointing the pen at him. “And that Uchiha. What’s going on?”

“Nothing?” Technically, it wasn’t a lie. They hadn’t confirmed they were together and because Naruto had told him last year that he wanted to start off as friends first, nothing _technically_ had changed. They just kissed. A lot. 

And touched a lot. 

But that was besides the point. 

“Nothing…” Sakura sighed again. “Anyone with two functioning pair of eyes can tell otherwise.”

Alarmed at that, he leaned in close and said, “Who else knew?”

“Knew that you two are together?”

“What?” Naruto blurted out. “Were we that obvious?”

And… that had been it. Sakura slammed both of her hands on her desk before she grabbed his arm, pulling him to stand. Yelping, she dragged him out of the classroom and into a quieter hallway, slamming him against the wall. Fear took root in his chest as he had crushed the remainder of his melon bun in his hands, staring at her with wide eyes. 

Her cheeks were flushed and her eyebrows were furrowed, anger clear on her face. 

“You two are _dating_?” she hissed, eyes flashing. 

Naruto gulped. Fuck. It was then he realised that he had fallen into her trap. Hanging his head, he took in a deep breath and rubbed a hand down his face. “Fuck, no one knows, right?”

“Of course no one knows!” Sakura exclaimed, raising her hands to the sky and dropping it back to her sides. “I just know because you have been acting quite weird lately.”

“How weird?” Naruto asked, curious.

“Like weird weird,” she said, deadpanning. “You glaring at the girls touching his arm, bumping into him weird. You looking for him more than you did before weird. The way you look at him as if he hung the moon _weird_.”

His cheeks warmed, tempted to shift his weight from one foot to the next under her scrutinising gaze. At the end, he said, “We’re not dating.”

Sakura’s shoulders relaxed but there was a guarded expression on her face. “But there’s something going on.”

He nodded, not finding the reason to lie. Not when she could see right through his lies. “Yeah.”

Sakura searched his face before she said with a softer tone, “What happened? Were you never going to tell me?”

Naruto bit his bottom lip, slight guilt surfacing in his chest. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell you. I just didn’t know if you’d understand.”

She furrowed her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

Naruto shook his head, sliding down to sit on the floor. She crouched down in front of him, eyebrows raised. “Not like that. I just meant… you dislike Sasuke. You don't even like me being friends with him. If you find out that we like each other as more than friends… you’d flip out.”

“Well,” Sakura said, huffing. “I’m not flipping out but I am questioning your lack of brain cells.”

“See!”

“Did you forget you’re a Beta and he’s an Alpha?” Sakura asked, piercing the question right through his brains. “Or did he tell you that it doesn’t fucking matter?”

Naruto thinned his lips, looking away. Sakura touched his shoulder, shaking him a tad. “Sakura, please…”

“I’m not trying to be the bad guy here, Naruto,” she said with a soft sigh. “I’m just… You remember what I told you last year, don’t you? Don’t let him hurt you. If you like him and he _genuinely_ likes you back… there’s nothing I can do about it. But don’t let him tug you around with a leash.” Her grip on his shoulder tightened when he met her eyes. “I just don’t want to see you hurt.”

Naruto’s chest tightened, a smile crossed his face before he touched her hand. “I promise, I won’t stand being treated wrong, okay? I have my pride too.”

“You’re a sacrificing fool, Naruto,” she said, earning a short laugh from him. “You’d give up your whole world to make the people you care about happy. I know you. I just don’t want you to see yourself give too much and break.”

“Geez, Sakura,” Naruto said, pushing her gently away from him. “We’re not even together. Not officially. And it’s not like there’s much to give. We’re still young. I don’t even know what I’m going to do after school besides practise. Does things have to be that complicated?”

Sakura hummed, looking away as her face softened. There was an indescribable look on her features that had his heart tugging in pain. He gently cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. She gave him a weak smile, one that had him hurting. 

“I love you,” she said, making him pause. “I just want you to know that.”

Naruto searched her face before he nodded, giving her a smile though he was unsure why she looked like that. “I love you too. You’re one of my best friends, Sakura.”

She nodded, looking away before she stood up, patting her skirt. “Look here,” she said, pointing at him. “If the Uchiha so much as hurt a hair on your head, he’ll be meeting my fist, got it?”

Naruto grinned, saluting her. “I’ll make sure he knows that.”

“Good,” Sakura said before she gave him a smile so sweet, it had sent a shiver running down his spine. “If you lose your virginity, tell me, okay?” She bent down a little, placing a hand on the wall as she stared at him in the eyes. “I’ll break his dick off.”

“Sakura!” Naruto squawked, face warm as she tipped her head back and laughed so evilly, he was almost tempted to ban sex in the future if they ever got there. When she walked away, silence washed into the scene causing him to take in a deep breath. He pressed a hand over his face and stared at his crushed melon bun. _I just don’t want to see your hurt_. 

He didn’t want to be hurt either and that was why he was holding Sasuke at an arm’s length when it came to his feelings. He wanted him. He was just scared of crossing the line.

***

The day of the volleyball match arrived. It was noisy, it was hot but most of all, it had Naruto’s blood pumping as he marched into the court with people screaming and shouting in excitement. That was more than enough for his adrenaline to get him ready to win this match for his school. He glanced at the benches where other students were, scanning the crowd for the familiar dark eyes of the boy who had promised he would be here. 

An arm was tossed over his shoulders then, pulling him against a strong chest. He turned his gaze to face Haru who grinned at him and placed a hand on his head to mess his hair. “We’re going to win this,” he said.

Naruto grinned back, shaking Haru away from him as he nodded. “We are.”

“Man, can’t wait to celebrate our victory,” Haru said, cockily. 

Naruto snorted under his breath, turning his attention back at the benches to see Sasuke. And there he was, sitting closer to the railings with his legs crossed and his chin on the palm of his right hand, his best friend was there to watch him. Naruto grinned, waving at him and earning a small wave back. 

Haru slapped his back, gesturing him to get his attention back in the game. With that, the match began and it was all uphill from there. Things had passed by him like a blur and most of the time, he was wheezing for air to think about anything but the school he was against. They were good but his team still managed to get the upper hand. 

By the time they won, his muscles ached and his heart was rapidly beating against his chest. As the cheers deafened his ears, he jumped up and down with his teammates before he was pulled into a tight hug by Haru for a brief few seconds. He grinned and slapped his senior’s shoulder, not thinking much about it. 

When he finally managed to grab a shower and change into his clothes, rushing out of the changing room to meet with Sasuke after he texted him to meet him outside of the court did his adrenaline finally settled. His best friend was waiting for him by the time he jogged outside. Without hesitation, he marched up to Sasuke and tossed his arms at him. 

The Alpha hugged him tight immediately, chuckling against his ears. Large hands caressed his shoulders and back before one landed at the back of his head and patted him twice. “You did good, idiot.”

“Bastard,” Naruto said as he pulled away, grinning. “I rocked out there.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sasuke said, but the smile on his face said he agreed with him. He pointed to his bag. “You want me to carry it?”

“Nah,” Naruto said, hitching it over his shoulders. “Man, that was awesome! I didn’t think it would be so much fun!” 

Sasuke shoved his hands into his pant pockets, smiling still as his eyes warmed. Just as he was about to say something, someone launched at his back causing him to flail and grab the legs. Kiba’s laughter from behind him had him grinning. Dropping his other best friend to the ground, he turned to look at the dog-lover followed by Ino, Chouji, Shikamaru, Sakura and Hinata. 

“You were good, man!” Kiba said, loudly. 

“Yes,” Sai said, appearing a second later from inside the court to stand next to Sakura. He held out his sketchpad to show it to Naruto. “You were brilliant.”

He whistled under his breath at the brief sketch Sai had done, taking the pad to caress his picture. “Yo, this is cool!”

“You can have it,” Sai said, smiling when Naruto beamed at him. 

“I didn’t think you’d do it but here you are, proving me wrong,” Ino teased, laughing when Naruto whined at her. 

“Come on,” he said, carefully placing the sketchbook into his bag. “I’m great at this! Born to do this, even!”

“Yeah, man!” Kiba said as he nudged Shikamaru. “Right?”

“Sure,” Shikamaru said with a tired smile. “You did great.”

“Y-Yes,” Hinata said, stuttering a bit as her cheeks reddened though she relaxed a little when Kiba held her hand. “Congratulations on the w-win.”

“Thanks, Hina-chan!” Naruto said, earning a spluttered sound from Kiba. “Anyway, I’m hungry. Anyone up for dinner?”

“I can do dinner,” Sakura said, nodding before she glanced at Sasuke standing next to him. “You coming, Uchiha?”

Sasuke shrugged. Naruto nudged him before giving him a smile, nervousness bubbled in his stomach. Fuck, Sasuke didn’t know that she figured it out that there was something between them and he couldn’t find the right time to tell him. 

“Well, then, let’s go!” Kiba said, loudly as he tossed an arm across his girlfriend’s shoulders and dragged her close to him.

Just as they were about to make a move, he heard a call for his name. He paused when he recognised the girl walking up to him. He smiled at her as he waited for her to stand in front of him and speak. 

“Congratulations today! You and your team were amazing today!” she, Yuki, said. 

“Thanks, Yuki-chan,” Naruto said, scratching the back of his neck. “I hope you enjoyed the game.”

“I did!” she said, beaming. “If you didn’t tell me about it when we met the other day, I wouldn’t have even thought to come.” She reddened a little as a contagious grin crossed her face. “I’m glad I came by.”

He nodded, before he pointed at her friends waiting for her behind them. “Thanks, Yuki-chan! I’m going to head out now but thank you for coming.”

“Of course!” she said, waving as she walked up to her friends, leaving him alone. 

He smiled before he turned to face his friends, pausing when all of them stared at him. Kiba had a leer on his face before he said, “Yo, didn’t think you were hanging out with a girl as pretty as her! Does she like you?”

“What?” Naruto squawked, jabbing a thumb over his shoulders. “No!”

Sakura eyed him from across the small crowd before she jutted her chin at Sasuke. Naruto immediately snapped his gaze at his best friend who seemed to have lost interest in the conversation and was staring at the ground. His throat dried at that, guilt manifesting in his chest. He knew how that came across. He forced himself to laugh. 

“No,” he said, seriously. “I don’t like her that way.” 

Kiba snorted. “Sure, we’ll see when she asks you out.”

“She’s not going to ask me out!” Naruto said, panicked. 

“Uh huh,” Ino said, eyeing him with a smirk. “Come on! I’m hungry, you idiots!”

Sakura tossed him a look but he carefully avoided it. He forced himself to slow down his walking, letting his friends to take a few steps ahead of him. Sasuke didn’t seem like he wanted to look at Naruto or even match his stride, preferring to go ahead of him as well. His heart tightened in his chest as he grabbed Sasuke’s wrist, forcing him to stop walking. 

The Alpha stared ahead for a few seconds before he turned his attention to the Beta. He stared at him but he made no move to speak and the silence didn’t make him feel good. 

He squeezed Sasuke’s wrist, a little afraid. “Are you mad?” he asked. 

Sasuke stood properly. “Did you do something for me to be mad at?”

“No,” Naruto said. “No. But…you look mad.”

“I’m not mad.” Sasuke kept the monotonous mask for a second later before it cracked at the frustrated sigh escaping his lips. “I’m not mad.”

“But?” Naruto said, squeezing his wrist again. 

Sasuke thinned his lips. Then, he took in a deep breath. “I didn’t like it. That you’re suddenly the centre of attention.”

Naruto raised his eyebrows, a bit confused at that. “Because…?”

“Because…” Sasuke shook his head, trying to shake his wrist. “Forget it. I’m being childish. Let’s go—”

“Sasuke,” Naruto said, taking a step towards him. “I don’t like anyone else but you. I don’t want anyone else.”

The Alpha paused, seeming to have frozen at that confession. His pale skin pinked a bit before he twisted his wrist from his grasp properly. Naruto let him go, his heart dropping to the pit of his stomach at that. Was Sasuke really mad?

Both palms touched his face, cradling his jaw like he was precious. Thumbs caressed his cheeks before Sasuke said, “I know. I just don’t like it. When they look at you like how I look at you. And you don’t even realise it.”

“Do you want me to realise it?”

“No.” Sasuke tightened his grip on his face. “Just keep looking at me.”

Naruto smiled, taking a step towards him before he wrapped his hands around the Alpha’s waist loosely. “I won’t. I’m not that fickle. I don’t see them that way. I promise.”

Sasuke sighed gently. “When will you be mine officially?”

Naruto’s breath hitched in his throat at that. “Sasuke—”

“Forget it,” Sasuke said, smiling a bit as he pressed his lips on Naruto’s forehead. “I promised to wait and take it slow and I’m not going to take that back.” He then took a step back, detangling himself from the Beta’s touch. “Come on.”

Naruto watched him walk away and for a second, there was this pang of loneliness echoing in his chest. He remembered that walk. Sasuke had looked so lonely back then when he first met him. And watching that again now…he didn’t like it. 

And to be honest, he was no longer satisfied being friends with him. 

He was scared of crossing the line but he wasn’t sure how long he could keep himself holding onto this grey area. Because that was cowardly. 

And he wanted to fall now even if it hurt. 

He followed after Sasuke. 

It was scary to take a plunge into something that would change his world irrevocably, but there was a chance there. He just had to take it even if it would end up in flames. But he would regret if he didn’t give this a try with Sasuke.

***

He was at a small store with his friends to eat dinner, laughing away when they talked about the game and everything in between. Sasuke was eating quietly next to him and occasionally he would chime in when Ino or Kiba would toss a question at him. The air between them was still awkward but Naruto knew that he couldn’t do anything about it for now.

Just as he was about to steal a meat from Kiba’s plate, a pair of palms slapped on the table, shaking the contents on the wooden surface. Naruto jolted, turning his attention at Haru and his friends, grinning at them. The Beta stopped drinking his water when those eyes of his senior landed on him. 

“I thought I saw my favourite junior here,” Haru said. “So you ditched our afterparty for the same place, ay, Uzumaki?”

“Haru-senpai, it isn’t like that,” Naruto said, smiling. 

“Well, why don’t you lot join us?” Haru said as he pointed at a larger table. “Girls from S High and boys from J High are here too!”

“J High?” Ino said, her eyes sparkled. “That’s the school of rich handsome kids.”

“Whatever, I’m good here,” Shikamaru said, earning a nudge from Ino. 

“Isn’t your girlfriend there?” Ino said as she pointed to a blond-haired girl at the tables, laughing as she fanned herself. 

Shikamaru paused before he glanced at the table and snorted under his breath. “No,” he said, earning skeptical looks from Ino and Chouji. 

“They’re _hot_ ,” Kiba said, earning a choke from Hinata. He snapped his gaze at his girlfriend only to apologise when Hinata had tears in her eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that, babe!”

“You idiot!” Sakura said loudly as she slapped the back of his head. 

“Nah,” Naruto said, laughing nervously at the antics of his friends to look at Haru. “I’m good here.”

“Ah, are you rejecting your senior’s request, Naruto?” Haru said, wriggling his eyebrows. “Yuki-chan’s been asking about you!”

Naruto was about to say something when a hand from under the table caught his fingers. He closed his mouth shut, tossing a look at Sasuke who was using one hand to eat his food and keeping his gaze firmly on the table. 

“Ah, well, senpai,” Naruto said, breath hitching in his throat when Sasuke squeezed his fingers. Then, he interlaced their fingers, tightening his grip on his hand. His heart skipped a beat, slight panic thrumming in his veins. “I just want to celebrate this with my friends. We can hang out another time, senpai!”

Haru eyed him before he grinned, nodding. “If you say so, Naruto! I’ll hold you onto that!” 

Once he left, his friends released a collective breath. Sasuke’s grip on his fingers were so tight that he had to wriggle his fingers to let the Alpha know that he needed to loosen it. Sasuke did but he didn’t let go of him completely. He sighed under his breath, eating his food as the conversation moved on. He really needed to talk to Sasuke after this. 

As he glanced at the table where Haru was, he was starting to feel like he was being targeted even if he was sure that wasn’t how his senior meant for it to come across.

***

He didn’t get to speak to Sasuke yesterday about it. By the time they had dinner, they all had to go on their own ways and once he got to his room, he crashed before he could call Sasuke. When the Alpha had picked him up for school this morning, he acted like nothing happened yesterday, idly chatting about what he needed to do. Now as the rain poured outside when school ended and the volleyball team having a day off from training, he stared at the future prospect of being wet. 

Sasuke stood next to him as they both peered into the crowd of running students, some cycled away. 

“Yikes,” Naruto whispered as he handed his hand out and winced at the rain droplets. “This isn’t letting up anytime soon.”

Sasuke hummed as he grabbed Naruto’s hand that was still outstretched and pulled him closer to him and away from the rain. “Don’t do that.”

“Well, we don’t have umbrella and Sakura has cram school so she had to leave first. We don’t have anything to use to shelter ourselves.” Naruto sucked his bottom lip before he let it go. “Now what?”

Sasuke tilted his head back to look at the sky before he sighed. “I guess we make a run for it after all.” 

“Okay, whose house?” Naruto said, earning a look from the Alpha. “What? You ain’t coming back to my place?”

“Your place has no checkpoints to wait out of the rain. No, not your place.” Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck. “My house…there’s a bus stop we could take shelter for a bit. We just have to run there.”

Naruto nodded, taking out his phone to quickly send Iruka a message that he was heading to Sasuke’s place and held out his hand. Sasuke eyed it before he raised his eyebrows, a question on his face. Naruto rolled his eyes. He wriggled his fingers. 

“Well, now you don’t want to hold my hand?” Naruto asked, amusement in his voice. “After that show yesterday under the table?”

Sasuke huffed a breath, his cheeks pinked a bit. “That was because…”

“Because?” Naruto grinned when Sasuke rolled his eyes and took his hand, interlacing their fingers. Deciding they would talk about that later, he nodded. “Okay, at the count of three!”

“Wait,” Sasuke said. Naruto paused, blinking when the Alpha took off his jacket. “Grab one edge of it. I’ll grab this side. It’ll at least make a temporary shade. At least for a little bit.”

The Beta grinned. That could work! He did just as Sasuke asked, their hands clasped together and now their free hands creating a makeshift shade. 

At the count of three, they got out of the shelter and ran. Naruto let Sasuke lead them away from the school as he made sure he didn’t slip. By the time they reached the bus stop, they were soaking wet. The jacket managed to hold the rain off for a bit, but even that got soaked through. He handed the jacket back to Sasuke, who took it with a trembling sigh. Naruto huffed a shuddering breath as he ran his fingers through his wet hair before he shook his head, earning a squawked from Sasuke. 

“Idiot, you’re getting the water on me!” Sasuke said. 

“We’re both wet, jerk,” Naruto said before he whipped his head to look at the Alpha.

Only to freeze at the sight greeting him. The white shirt was now sticking to Sasuke’s chest and became translucent. Not to mention, his hair now wet were no longer gelled looking and had flattened onto his forehead. His pants where at a similar state of sticking against his curves and angles, especially the top part of his pants near his belt. His face burned as he raised his eyes to meet Sasuke’s face, his throat drying. The dark eyes seemed to appraise him, shifting the gaze from his head to the bottom of his feet. When Sasuke finally chose a spot on his body to keep his gaze on, it was to his chest. Naruto felt exposed and…

He didn’t dislike it. 

It made him nervous as fuck, though. 

Butterflies swarmed in him at the heated look in his best friend’s eyes, having seen that once or twice when their kissing almost escalated. The Alpha licked his bottom lip and took a small step towards him, a pale hand lifting to touch his face. Naruto shivered when those fingers finally met his skin and cupping his face, pulling him gently closer. 

“Fuck,” Sasuke whispered as he searched his face before his dark gaze landed on his body again. He had half an inkling to cover his chest with his bag but…he couldn’t help the pride in him that he managed to enamour his best friend like this. “Naruto…”

Sasuke leaned in close then, their noses brushing and sending a rush of heat down the blond-haired boy’s body. Before their lips could meet though because he was sure that was where this was going, he placed a hand on his friend’s chest and stopped himself from short-circuiting. 

“Not here,” he said. “We’re still outside.”

The grip on his face tightened before Sasuke thinned his lips, his eyebrows furrowed. He looked like he was fighting against what he wanted and Naruto wished he didn’t have to. But…

“When we get to your room,” Naruto said, his face heating up once more when those eyes he liked narrowed. He startled when Sasuke grabbed his wrist then, pulling him. “Sasuke?”

“Let’s go.” Sasuke didn’t give him a chance to retort as they began running again to Sasuke’s house.

And this time, when Naruto’s heart beat loudly and raced, it wasn’t _just_ because they were trying to beat the rain to the Alpha’s place.

***

His bag was tossed to the ground and before he could tell Sasuke to first change out of the wet clothes, he was pushed onto the large bed belonging to the Alpha. He startled when he was straddled on his waist and kissed deeply. He breathed out a choked moan as he scrambled to touch Sasuke’s shoulders, one hand travelling to touch his jaw before fingers buried in his wet hair. Kissing him back, he opened his mouth to allow Sasuke’s tongue into his mouth. 

It was far different from all the times they kissed. The passion and heat he felt here didn’t even amount to before. He arched his body when a hand travelled down his body to yank his white shirt from his pant. He gasped when Sasuke sucked on his tongue while all the while pushed his shirt up until cool air brushed on his tan skin, cold fingers spanned on abdomen. 

When he managed to push Sasuke away from him, the hand on his face tilted him to the side before warm lips latched on a skin near his jaw. A breathless moan escaped his lips as he pulled Sasuke closer against his neck. When the cool nose brushed against the juncture of his neck and shoulder, a shiver ran down his spine. 

“S-Sasuke,” he whispered, choking out another moan when Sasuke sucked at a patch of skin near the very juncture his nose had been. 

The other hand on his stomach started to raise to his chest, making his heart pound and heat pool at his groin. Mind hazy, he pulled at Sasuke’s head by his hair and kissed him again, groaning when Sasuke brushed his tongue against his. But…even with the haze, he knew they should slow down. 

And it seemed that Sasuke could read his body language because then the kiss slowed into something sweeter and the hands on his body stopped roaming, merely caressing his heated skin. When Sasuke pecked his lips a few times and finally raised himself with a hand on the mattress near his head, his chest heaving, they stared at each other for a while. 

“You’re so…” Sasuke breathed out before he leaned down and pressed his lips against his forehead. “So beautiful.”

Naruto warmed but there was a certain happiness his chest. Even through the nerves, he grinned. “You’re not so bad yourself, Sasuke.”

The Alpha smirked, his eyes were still clouded with the same look that managed to heat him up from within. Before he could say anything, the door was knocked a few times. His heart lurched against his chest when he scrambled to sit up, Sasuke moving away from him. The door then opened and walked in was a tall man with a ponytail, similar pale complexion and dark eyes as Sasuke’s. Only he looked a tad older. 

“Itachi,” Sasuke said. “What’re you doing home?”

“Came by to grab a document for work,” Itachi said, eyeing them both before a frown etched on his lips. “What’s going on? Who is this and why are you both in bed wet?”

As if he had been set on fire, both boys scrambled out of bed to stand at the edge. Naruto quickly yanked his shirt down to cover his abdomen, panic waving through his veins. When he glanced at Itachi, the narrow-eyed look was a dead giveaway that he was suspecting something. If they weren’t in this situation, he would’ve laughed at how easy it was to read Itachi like he could with his brother. He was sure this was his brother since he recalled Sasuke mentioning he had a sibling named Itachi. 

“Nothing,” Sasuke said, voice croaking as he cleared his throat. “This is Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto and he’s my friend from school. It was raining and my place is closer so I brought him here.” Sasuke then glanced at the Beta before he pointed at Itachi. “This is my older brother, Itachi-nii.”

“Ah, hello,” Naruto said, bowing his head a little. 

Itachi nodded but there was still an odd look on his face. After a beat he said, “I didn’t know Sasuke made friends.”

Naruto blinked, taken aback at that. He then smiled, nudging Sasuke who seemed to grumble under his breath. “Oh, well, he _is_ an anti-social bastard.” 

Itachi frowned. “Excuse me?”

“What? Ah, sorry,” Naruto said, laughing nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m used to calling him that.”

“Naruto,” Sasuke said with a sigh before he looked at his brother. “You can leave if you’re done, Itachi.”

“Actually,” Itachi said before he said. “I think I’ll stick around for a bit. My meeting isn’t until later.”

“Itachi—”

“You might want to change,” Itachi said. “Uzumaki-kun, do you need any spare clothes? I’m sure I can lend you some of my older ones.”

“He’ll wear mine,” Sasuke said, taking a step towards to almost block Naruto. “You can go.”

“Oh?” Itachi leaned against the doorway. “And why’s that? You don’t usually lend people clothes.”

“Itachi—”

“Ah, it’s sokay, Sas,” Naruto said as he looked at the older man. “I can wear your clothes.”

“No.” Sasuke grabbed his wrist when Naruto tried to walk past him. “You’re wearing mine. Not his.”

“But…” Naruto’s face warmed. Confusion wormed into him at the sudden change of air. “What’s wrong, Sasuke?”

“Yes, what’s wrong, little brother?” Itachi said, a smirk on his face that resembled way too close to Sasuke. As if he knew something that he didn’t. 

“Wow, you two look alike,” Naruto said, earning two sets of dark eyes landing on him. He grinned. “What? If that’s how you’re going to look when you’re older, Sasuke, you’ll attract even more attention!”

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, sounding baffled. 

Technically, Naruto was only trying to ease the tension here and it seemed to work when Itachi snickered. 

“Hm?” Itachi said. “My, Sasuke, looks like your friend has good taste.”

“I’m far more good looking than him,” Sasuke said, turning to look at Naruto. “What the fuck, idiot?”

“What?” Naruto squawked. “I’m just stating a fact! I didn’t say anything stupid!” He yanked his wrist to poke Sasuke. “The fuck is _your_ problem?”

“My problem? You just complimented another Alpha in front of me!” Sasuke said. 

Naruto rolled his eyes. “I’m just saying you two look alike, untwist your panties, asshole—”

“Are you two dating?” Itachi said, cutting through their argument. 

Naruto’s throat dried at the question. He glanced at Sasuke, unsure of what to do. They weren’t datingbut… He didn’t know how much he could say and if Sasuke was comfortable with it. 

He opened his mouth about to save Sasuke from this mess when the Alpha said, “Yeah. I am. What of it?”

Taken aback, he stared at Sasuke’s profile, his heart skipping a beat at that. What? 

Itachi merely raised an eyebrow before he said, “Get changed, you two. I’ll be waiting downstairs.” 

With that said, the taller man left the boys alone. Naruto immediately turned to face Sasuke, grabbing his shoulders and shook him a tad. “What did you just do?”

“Told my brother the truth,” Sasuke said, glancing at him. 

“We’re not dating!”

“ _Yet_ ,” Sasuke said, stubbornness crossed his features with a furrow in between his eyebrows and a small frown on his lips. 

“But!” Naruto blinked. 

“Sooner or latter he’ll find out,” Sasuke said with a shrug. “Might as well tell him now.” After a beat he added, “Or did you not want to be mine?”

“It’s not that,” the Beta said with a sigh, searching Sasuke’s face. One-second the Alpha tried to hide he liked Naruto and the next, he came out of the closet with blazing determination. He wasn’t sure what to think. “If you’re sure…”

“I’m sure.” Sasuke didn't look like he regretted the decision so Naruto let it go. “Are you sure, though?”

“Sure about?”

“Letting people know about us.” Sasuke moved then to his closet, letting Naruto dwell on the question. 

Truthfully, he still wasn’t comfortable letting everyone know. But… Sakura already knew. It was only matter of time his closest friends and family knew about them. And… “If it’s only with people I care about, I don’t mind.”

He just didn’t think he would like to let strangers know about them. 

“Okay, same here then,”Sasuke said. 

Naruto bit his bottom lip.“Plus… Sakura kinda knows about us.”

Sasuke paused, looking taken aback. “The pink-haired—”

“ _Sasuke_.”

“She knows?” Sasuke amended his words, huffing a breath. “How?”

“She just suspected and confronted me about it,” Naruto said, smiling. “She’s okay with it. Kind of. No one else knows though.”

Sasuke hummed, shrugging. “Whatever, if she knows, then that’s good. One competition eliminated.”

“What?” Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, confused at that sentence but the Alpha merely shook his head. 

Sasuke then he tossed a pair of shorts and shirt at him. “Get changed.” He also threw him a towel. “The bathroom’s over there. I’ll change out here.”

Naruto opened and closed his mouth before he sighed. With a nodded, he walked to the bathroom.

***

Itachi handed them cups of tea before he took a seat in front of them at the dining table. He sipped on his own tea, silence washing into the scene as none of them made a move to talk. Naruto quietly took his cup, staring at the liquid as his mind danced from one thought to the next in slight fear. He didn’t let the emotions show though, he didn’t think it would help anyone at the moment. 

“How did you two meet?” Itachi asked. 

“Same school,” Sasuke said, not hesitating.

Naruto nodded. “When we were fifteen…”

Itachi raised an eyebrows before he placed his cup on the table. He then dragged his dark gaze on Sasuke. “That’s why you chose to go to this high school and not in Tokyo?”

Tokyo? Naruto snapped his head to look at his best friend who kept his eyes on his brother. “Yes,” Sasuke said. 

The Beta’s breath hitched in his throat at that. He vaguely remembered how Sakura had said that Sasuke was to go to a better school but he ended up staying here. He hadn’t been able to pry out from the taller boy why… but if it was because of him—

“I have friends here,” Sasuke said, cutting through his thought. “Not just because of Naruto but I have friends here too. I… fit here.”

Itachi hummed, leaning into his chair. Naruto blinked when Sasuke met his eyes, searching his face for a lie. But there wasn’t from what he could find. His heart skipped a beat before a smile crossed his lips at that. That seemed to be the right reaction because the Alpha’s shoulders relaxed, a hand then touched his tan one from under the table, squeezing his fingers. 

“And I assume Mother and Father doesn’t know about this?” Itachi said.

“No.” Sasuke glanced down to the table. “I’ll tell them one day.”

Itachi hummed. “Uzumaki-kun, you’re a Beta, aren’t you?”

Naruto was taken aback as he sat straighter. He nodded, a bit awkwardly. “How did…”

Itachi tapped at his nose. “Sensitive nose.”

It reminded him of the first time Sasuke had told him about that and he couldn’t help but to crack a smile at that too. “Oh, like Sasuke.”

“Yes, so he told you that much,” Itachi said, his lips quirking upwards for a brief moment. “And his predicament with Omegas?”

“He hates their scents,” Naruto said, nodding, earning a hum from Itachi. 

“I see.” Itachi’s words were calm but there was a hidden of curiosity that Naruto could detect. 

“Itachi,” Sasuke said, meeting his brother’s gaze. “I like him. He’s… I want him.”

Itachi didn’t say anything for a while before he nodded. “I can’t really say anything much but… I hope to get to know you then, Uzumaki-kun.”

“Naruto!” the Beta said, catching the older man off guard. “You can call me that. I don’t really care much for formalities.”

“Naruto-kun,” Itachi said, a smile on his face as he stood up. “What a bright person you are.”

Naruto grinned, scratching the back of his neck. “Iruka used to tell me that I resemble a sunshine.”

The older man chuckled. “Yes… I can see the resemblance.”

“Go away,” Sasuke said, earning another snicker from Itachi. “The rain seemed to have stopped. Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

“No need to be so prickly, little brother,” Itachi said as he grabbed his files that were on the table. “I’ll see you both. Try to make sure the door is properly closed next time if you were to smash faces together.”

Naruto’s face reddened as he tried to splutter out an apology. When the older man left the boys to their devices, the Beta whined in embarrassment, thumping his forehead on the table. “Man, that’s embarrassing.”

Sasuke placed a hand on his head and patted him twice. “Get used to it.”

“Fuck off, man,” Naruto said, turning his head to look at him. “That was scary.”

“Hn,” Sasuke said, meeting his eyes. He leaned forward then. “Do you think my brother’s more good looking than me?”

Naruto groaned and hooking his chin on the table to stare ahead. “Man, stop being a princess.”

He yelped when Sasuke tugged at his hair, earning a brief kick on his shin. That ended with them roughhousing that led to them laughing on the ground in the empty house.

***

The year was coming to a close and before they knew it they would be entering their final year. As Naruto walked home with Sasuke, that realisation had him almost stumbling onto nothing. Sasuke was walking ahead of him, his broad shoulders looking less lonely than he had once seen them. As time ticked by, reality had him realising that this thing between them wasn’t going to go away anytime soon. 

After Itachi found out about them a week ago, their dynamic shifted again into something more comfortable but tentative to the start of something new. He was now at a crossroad between accepting this between them or ending it. 

And he wanted Sasuke. 

Even if he was terrified. 

“Hey, Sasuke,” Naruto said, making the taller boy to stop walking and turn to look at him. Under the orange skies and yellow sunlight, the Alpha looked breathtaking, making his heart swell in affection. As long as Sasuke was to be by his side… maybe he didn’t have to be afraid anymore. “I…I made up my mind.”

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows, confusion colouring his face. He stood straighter. “What do you mean?”

Naruto shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his heart beating loudly against his chest. He grabbed the straps of his bag and tightened his grip on them. “I like you. A lot. As more than a friend.”

Sasuke blinked, looking taken aback. The Alpha looked around them before he met the blue gaze, nodding. He took a small step towards him before he stopped. “I know.”

“Do you like me too?”

“You know I do,” Sasuke said, voice quiet. 

Naruto nodded, taking in a deep breath. “Uh, remember how I told you on our first date that I… I would like to wait?” He didn’t wait for Sasuke to respond. “I think I’m ready. To take a step forward. To… To do this with you. I’m still scared but I think if you’re with me, I don’t have to be anymore.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened for a moment before he opened and closed his mouth, looking loss of words. Naruto gave him a weak smile. 

“Do you mean…” Sasuke said, whispering almost as he took another step towards him. 

“You asked me when I can be yours,” Naruto said. “How about starting from now?”

He expected Sasuke to remain silent in shock but what he didn’t expect was for the Alpha to reduce the distance between them and grab him his face to kiss him. Naruto made a shocked noise at the back of his throat for a whole three-seconds before he forced his body to relax and kiss him back, touching Sasuke’s shoulders. 

When the Alpha pulled away, it was to a face full of awe; wide eyes and a mouth slightly agape. 

“You’ll be mine?” Sasuke whispered. 

Naruto grinned, his heart warming. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll be yours.”

Sasuke pulled him into a hug then, wrapping his arms around him like he didn’t want to let him go. And at that very moment, Naruto thought he made the right decision. Gently, he hugged him back, burying his face on his shoulder. He was willing to give up his heart for this boy and he wanted to see where this thing between them would go. 

“Everything will be fine, right?” Naruto whispered against him. 

Sasuke placed a hand at the back of his head and squeezed him. “Everything will be fine. Even if it isn’t, I’ll make it better.”

And he trusted Sasuke. 

“You’re my boyfriend now,” Naruto said, giggling at the word as it escaped his lips. “Man, this is going to be weird.”

Sasuke snorted with him, not making a move to let him go anytime soon. Thankfully the streets were empty. As he allowed himself to be engulfed in his warmth, his heart skipped a beat at the path they were about to head on. 

An Alpha and a Beta.

They were an odd couple. 

But Naruto wanted this and he wanted to hold onto him. 

Even if it would hurt him. 

**iv.**

**Senior Year of High School**

Being boyfriends didn’t really change anything between them. Sure, there was much of a permanent label on what they were doing like kissing in the lit room during breaks or when they would meet up for dates-but-not-really-dates, but besides that, everything was the same. And Naruto had been…relieved. And mildly disappointed. 

Sakura had once waved poetry about her favourite love story and it seemed to intrigue him. The whole hand-holding, sweet words and then future, being proposed to and looked at like they were their whole world. It was beautiful. And to be honest, Naruto had always thought it would be something he could get to. 

He had to reconsider that when he decided to give this thing between him and Sasuke a go. 

As he texted Haru on his phone, his senior now had graduated but insisted that they kept in contact, while he walked to the empty hallway where he always met Sasuke, he considered to buy a bun from the vending machine too. He knew Sasuke brought food for them but still…

He opened the door to the lit room, about to announce his presence when he stopped at scene before him. The Alpha was sat at the table this time, studying with books scattered everywhere and hand furiously scribbling with a pen on the pages. Raising his eyebrows, he gently closed the door and bounded to where his lover was, taking a seat in front of him. 

“Yo, what’s this?” Naruto asked as he peeked at the books. 

“What does it look like, dumbass?” Sasuke said, not even bothering to grace him with his presence. 

Huffing a breath, he brought his knees to his chest and grabbed the bento box that was placed in front of him. “Studying,” he said. “But why? School year just started.”

Sasuke looked up at him before he rolled his eyes and went back to studying. “We’re in our senior year, Naruto. Did you forget we won’t be high school students any longer?”

Chopsticks in his hands, he paused at picking at his food, letting the words to sink in. “Ah,” Naruto said before he shrugged. “I still don’t know what to do so.”

Sasuke hummed. “You should think about it more.” The Alpha raised his head to meet his eyes and gave him a smile. “You don’t want to be the last one left behind.”

“Oi!” Naruto said, pouting as he ate his food. He didn’t tell Sasuke but he had been thinking about what he wanted to do. He just didn’t know _what._ He had dreams, sure. But there were nothing concrete. “I’ll think about it.”

“Hn.” Sasuke went back to studying, the silence between them now calm. 

Naruto took in his boyfriend’s serious face as he continued to study and for a moment, there was a pang of realisation that this was how they were. How different they were. He remembered Sasuke mentioned that he had his whole life planned out and he preferred it that way. And there was this underlying fear that they would be separated. 

Because that was what was going to happen, wasn’t it?

As he quietly ate, he contemplated on what he wanted to do. 

He liked playing volleyball. He liked sports. It was the one thing he properly excelled in and enjoyed. Taking out his phone, now having upgraded from a flip phone to an actual smartphone, he opened the internet browser to quickly look through career options that would utilise his likes. 

One particular job had him pausing. 

A teacher. 

He hummed lowly under his breath as he placed the bento box on the table with the chopsticks on it, pressing his chin on his knees. Clicking through some university application pages, there was a sense of rightness as he stared at the course. A teacher. A physical education teacher. 

More so, there were courses related to the sports field he could take before pursuing as a teacher.

He had always admired Iruka and his ability to teach his students in a calm manner. And while he was sure he had made his teachers wanted to kick him to the moon often times, he admired their diligence and want to keep their students moving forward and succeeding. It was an honourable job. 

It was an option. 

“Want to go out this Saturday?” Naruto asked Sasuke. 

“Can’t, cram school,” Sasuke said, pausing for a second as his eyebrows furrowed. Just before Naruto could be disappointed, the Alpha said, “I’m free on Sunday.”

Beaming at that, Naruto said, “Great, there’s this new ramen shop I want to go!”

Sasuke only sighed under his breath but his lips quirked upwards for a second. Naruto snorted under his breath, pushing aside the slight fears about the future away for now as he went to eat.

***

“A teacher sounds like a good idea,” Sakura said as she walked with him to the vending machine on the second floor. 

Naruto hummed. “You think?”

“Yeah,” she said. “I want to be a language teacher, to be honest.”

Naruto tilted his head to one side, furrowing his eyebrows. “Weird.”

Sakura raised her eyebrows. “What is?”

“You being a language teacher. Didn’t you say you dream of being mentored by Tsunade? The lead heart surgeon in this country?” 

Sakura nodded. “I did…but then shaping new generation and helping them achieve their dreams sounds just as nice.”

Naruto couldn’t deny that. As he bought his melon bun and took a bite out of it, he said, “I think I want to be a teacher too. Maybe a sports teacher.”

Sakura slapped his shoulder at that making him wince. “You’d be a great teacher. With your abundance of energy and sunshine personality.”

Naruto chuckled, tossing an arm across her shoulders. “Let’s be teachers.”

“And be stuck with your ass?” Sakura said with a huff though she nudged his stomach as a sign she was joking. Just then they heard someone calling for her. She waved at a girl with pigtails, pulling away from Naruto. “I’m going to go. See you!”

He waved at his best friend, climbing to the second floor to head to the third floor when he heard a brief commotion ahead of him. Naruto had always been a nosy person so instead of venturing back to his floor, he followed the noise. Ahead of him was a small crowd where a few girls and boys circled a girl. She was pushed against the wall, trembling with tears on her face. It took him a second to recognise the girl. 

Yuki!

She was in the same year as he was but he wasn’t sure what she was doing on this floor. Just then he saw the other girl holding Yuki by her tie and ready to slap her. On reflex, he quickened his walk and pushed through the crowd, grabbing the other girl’s wrist. That elicited a squawk from her as Naruto made quick work to push her away from Yuki. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” the girl screamed at him. “Get out of my way!”

“You’re bullying her,” Naruto hissed, pulling Yuki behind him. “Go away.”

“Step away,” the woman said, her eyes flashed in red. Alpha. “This has _nothing_ to do with you. That _bitch_ tried to steal my boyfriend!”

“I d-didn’t,” Yuki whispered behind Naruto. She grabbed his shirt on his back, bunching it up in her fist. “I didn’t.”

Naruto couldn’t just leave now, could he? He pushed the girl away when she tried to grab Yuki from him. 

“Don’t,” Naruto said, silencing her. “You have no right to hit anyone. You could just talk to her.”

“You don’t understand,” the girl said. Without thinking twice, she grabbed Naruto by his collar, her strength startling him. “Get lost, freak.”

His eyes widened, startled at her word choice. Anger then burst through him as he grabbed her wrist, wrenching it from his collar. “Lady, you’re being real stupid here.”

“Naruto!” a familiar caught his attention. 

He turned his attention to the voice, his breath hitching in his throat at Sasuke rushing towards him. Behind him was a teacher, causing everyone to scramble. When he reached the Beta, he pulled him away from Yuki, causing her to whimper. Naruto pulled away from his grasp to look at her. 

“What is going on here?” the teacher said. 

“She’s being bullied,” Naruto said, pointing at Yuki. He was about to point out the girl that bullied her but she was gone. “Fuck, she got away.”

“Language,” the teacher said with a glare on his face. Then he looked at Yuki, sighing. “You’re hurt.”

Yuki ducked her head, her tears in her eyes. It was then Naruto noticed the hand grip mark on her arm. Angry again, he was about to open his mouth when his boyfriend grabbed his arm again, tightening his grip so he wouldn’t speak. 

“Come on,” the teacher said before he pointed at Naruto. “You too. Let’s figure this out.”

Yuki whimpered, causing Naruto to once again shake Sasuke’s hands away to touch her shoulder. She didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around him and hugged him tight. Naruto took in a deep breath and hugged her back, patting her back. It was only when she seemed ready enough to let go of him that the teacher escorted them both to his room to talk about the bullying.

By the time it was all settled and Naruto was allowed to leave, he was exhausted. 

Sasuke was waiting for him outside, hands in his pockets and ankles crossed, leaning against a wall as he stared at the ground. The Beta stood next to him for a few seconds before the Alpha nodded and began to walk away, no doubt asking him non-verbally to follow him. Deciding for now they would just skip classes, he kept quiet as they entered the abandoned staircase that led to the rooftop. 

Much to Naruto’s amusement, Sasuke managed to unlock the door and cross the paper tape telling them not to enter. The Beta’s slight smile died on his face as he looked at Sasuke who was now standing in the middle of the rooftop, staring straight ahead and not making a move to look at him. 

At the end, Naruto broke the silence with, “Sorry. I caused you trouble.”

Sasuke turned then to look at him. He searched his face before the Alpha sighed. “Idiot,” he said. “What were you thinking picking a fight with an Alpha?”

“It isn’t my fault,” Naruto said, crossing his arms against his chest. “She was about to hit Yuki-chan. I can’t just sit there and not do anything.”

Sasuke stared at him. “It’s none of your business.”

“None of my business?” Naruto scratched the back of his neck as slight irritation wormed into him. “I guess. But I can’t stand watching someone getting hurt.”

“You could’ve just called the teacher and be done with it,” Sasuke said, taking a step towards him. “Or did you forget you’re a third year?”

Naruto blinked, taken aback at the accusation in his tone. “Yo, look. I didn’t forget. I just didn’t want her to hurt Yuki-chan.”

Sasuke thinned his lips. “So you decided to risk getting a mark on your record just to help her?”

Irritated now, he glared at his lover. “What the hell is your problem? I just helped her. It isn’t like I started the fight.”

“No, but you got in between,” Sasuke said, lessening the distance between them until he was standing before him. “If you had pushed her any harder and she fell, the teacher would have thought you were the one who started this mess.”

Naruto huffed his breath, looking away. “Whatever. I helped her and I don’t regret it. Now, get off my back, Sasuke.”

“You’re an idiot,” Sasuke said, catching his gaze. “Are you going to run off saving everyone who gets bullied?”

“I don’t know what crawled up your ass and died but yeah,” Naruto said, stubbornly. “If someone is getting bullied and I can put a stop to it, I will!”

Sasuke looked displeased with the answer, his eyebrows furrowed as his pale skin pinked from no doubt the anger. He took in a deep breath and let it out. “Naruto…” His voice was calm but it was spoken in a way that grated his nerves. “I want to go to uni with you, stupid. Can you stop getting yourself in trouble like this?”

His breath hitched in his throat at that, finally getting what the Alpha was trying to say. Ashamed at his sudden flare of anger, he relaxed his shoulders and bowed his head. “Sorry if I worried you. I just… she looked so scared, Sasuke.”

“I know,” Sasuke said with a sigh as he reached to press a hand on his face. “Stop trying to be the hero when there’s other ways to solve this. If you get hurt…”

Naruto understood then what was his boyfriend’s problem. He charmed Sasuke with a grin, earning a glare back. He wrapped his arms around the Alpha, burying his face against his shoulder. “I’ll be fine,” Naruto said. “You protected me just fine.”

“Stupid,” Sasuke mumbled as he pressed a hand at the back of his head. “I won’t always get to protect you so take care of yourself more.”

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, pulling away to meet the dark gaze. “What do you mean?”

Sasuke searched his face before he looked away. “I just mean in the future. We can’t always be attached by the hip.”

Sasuke had a point and he nodded. Though, there was still something _off_ about the way he said it. For now though, he decided to ignore it. He liked the serenity between them and he really didn’t want to get into another fight with his lover. He hugged him again, pushing the thought to the back of his mind.

***

Naruto waited for Sasuke at the bus stop near where the Alpha’s house was. As promised, it was Sunday and it was their date day. Not that Naruto had made it clear to him that it was a date but he was sure the Alpha knew it was. He glanced at his phone, taking in the time as he sat at the benches under the shade. 

It had been a while since they went on a date. He huffed a breath, glancing at the sky. It was only when footsteps echoed close to where he was that he turned his gaze at the taller boy nearing him. Wearing a dark navy blue shirt, red skin-tight jeans and a black hoodie, here was Sasuke in all his glory. Naruto cracked a grin, even though his eyes were adjusting to the sight of his boyfriend after staring at the sky for too long. 

“Where are we going?” Sasuke asked as he took a seat next to Naruto. There was a waft of scent from him. It was nice. Naruto leaned in close and pressed his nose at his shoulder, sniffing once before he pulled away. “What?”

“You smell good,” Naruto said, earning a snort from the Alpha. “What cologne are you wearing?”

Sasuke shrugged. “Just some random one I got from Itachi.” He sniffed his own shoulder before his lips quirked upwards. “Where do you want to go?” 

“I don’t know,” Naruto said, a bit sheepishly. “I just want to hang out with you.”

Sasuke hummed, pressing his shoulder against Naruto before he nodded, standing up. “Come on, you said you wanted to go to the new ramen shop.”

“Well, yes,” Naruto said, standing up. “But if you ask me what to do after that, I don’t know.”

Sasuke tossed him a weird look as they got out of the bus stop shade, walking down the quiet street. “Since when do you care what happens next?”

The Beta grew silent at that. He didn’t really have an answer to that, if he was being honest. He wasn’t even sure how to react to it. Had he come across as someone who never cared about the future plans? A little awkward at being called out, he merely shrugged and gave Sasuke a smile that he didn’t feel. 

He supposed he had been thinking about it more this year, especially after Sasuke made various vague comments about where he would like to go after high school and how unsure Naruto was about his future. 

“What?” Sasuke said, prodding at him when Naruto remained silent. 

“Nothing,” the Beta said. “Just… I guess I’ve been thinking about what I want to do after high school more, I guess.”

Sasuke didn’t say anything much to that for a few seconds. “How’s that going then?”

Naruto would’ve pointed out that Sasuke missed an opportunity to make fun of him if not for the fact his heart clenched tight at the subtle understanding between them that this hadn’t been the right time for it. He sighed under his breath as he shrugged once more, completely lost again. 

“It’s going,” Naruto said, this time his smile had been more genuine. “I have an idea or so on what I want to do. I just don’t know if it’s the right one for me.”

Sasuke glanced at him but he didn’t say anything else. Naruto took that as a sign for him to continue on speaking. 

“I’m thinking of teaching,” he said. “I like the idea of helping people becoming the best versions of themselves. I also like the sports. So… being a PE teacher sounds nice.”

“A PE teacher,” Sasuke said. 

He squared his shoulders, defensive all of a sudden at the lack of comments on his future plans. He waited with bated breath for any other response but there wasn’t. Sasuke merely nodded and continued walking as if he hadn’t heard what the Beta had said. Confused and a little annoyed, he slapped Sasuke’s hand that had been brushing against his as they walked. The Alpha turned his attention to him, raising his eyebrows in a non-verbal question. 

“You’re not going to say anything else?” Naruto asked.

“What do you want me to say?” Sasuke said. 

“I… I don’t know,” Naruto admitted. “Just… was expecting some funny comments from you on my career choice.”

Sasuke smirked before he said, “Like how it’s a good career choice for someone as loud as you?”

“Oi!” Naruto said, pouting. 

A few seconds of silence passed before the Alpha said, “I think you should do what you like. And if it’s becoming a teacher, then you should go for it.” And because this was Sasuke, he ruined the moment with, “God knows you would fit right in with children having a childish personality like yourself.”

“Fuck you, man!” Naruto said, kicking Sasuke’s shin before he began running when the Alpha chased after him. “Asshole!”

“I’m the asshole? You’re the one who kicked me, stupid!”

Laughter echoed into the sky as they continued to chase after each other. It was only when the silent road began to welcome a few people and branched to crowds that they both stopped running, panting. Sasuke placed a hand on a nearby streetlight, gasping as he hunched forward and placed a hand on his knees. Naruto was in similar state but he wasn’t sweating too much like Sasuke was. 

“Man, you need to exercise more,” the Beta teased, earning a glare from Sasuke. 

“I have enough stamina, stupid,” Sasuke said as he stood up, taking in a few more deep breaths. “Being a PE teacher definitely suits you.”

Naruto chuckled. “Come on, I’m hungry now.”

Sasuke nodded, finally seem to have gathered his bearings. Naruto grabbed a tissue packet from his orange hoodie pockets, tossing it at Sasuke before he gestured to his forehead where most of the sweat were located. The Alpha took it without saying anything, following the Beta as they manoeuvred the crowd to get to the new ramen shop. 

By the time they had sat in a booth and ordered their meal, they were in much better state. 

It was then Naruto could finally take in Sasuke’s face. He was busy typing on his phone and as his dark hair landed heavier on one side of his face creating a far more handsome look. He was a masterpiece before him and it was surreal that they were together. And for a brief moment, he wondered _why_ it was him. That thought brought a pang in his chest followed by the newfound fear that he was going to be left behind. 

Sasuke had his whole life planned out before him. 

And… he was almost too afraid to ask how Naruto was going to fit in them. 

“Which university do you plan to go to?” the Beta asked before he could stop himself, heart almost stopped beating when Sasuke froze. 

It was a long second later that the Alpha continued typing on his phone before he looked at Naruto. The dark eyes were masked and his heart plummeted to the bottom of his stomach. While he didn’t know what _this_ particular look meant, he was aware that it at least wasn’t a good one. 

Sasuke placed his phone on the table before he shrugged. “Don’t know yet. You?”

“You’re lying.” Naruto thinned his lips when Sasuke narrowed his gaze, something sparking between them. He decided to deescalate the tension with a smile. “Come on! You have everything planned out. You can tell me!”

Sasuke searched his face. After a beat, he said, “It doesn’t matter. I don’t even know if I’ll get in.”

“If it doesn’t matter, you can tell me,” Naruto said. He kept the smile on his face. “I’m curious, come on.”

It was clear that the question brought discomfort to the Alpha. And it worried Naruto. What was it that caused him so much hardship to speak? 

“Naruto—”

“Is it overseas?” Naruto asked, his chest growing cold. 

When Sasuke shook his head, he almost sighed in relief. And then Sasuke said, “T University.”

And that had stopped his world from moving for a few seconds as the cold became solid ice in his chest. “T Uni?” the Beta whispered. He might not know much about universities but he knew about that one. “It’s not here.”

“No,” Sasuke said, voice low. “It’s in Tokyo.”

“I gathered.” Naruto leaned into his chair, letting that sink into his head. He didn’t know what to say to that. “Is…Is that the uni you really want to go?”

“Yes.”

And that was enough for Naruto to nod. If that was what Sasuke wanted, he couldn’t really say anything now, could he? Still… there was this growing fear in his chest that he was indeed going to be left behind. He wasn’t good enough for _Tokyo_. 

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, catching his attention. “It’s not fixed. I still have to my mock exam and…see.”

“Ah, Sasuke,” Naruto said, smiling. “You’ll get in. I know you.” He shook his head. “Besides, you made up your mind.” When Sasuke opened his mouth to argue, he shook his head again. “I don’t mind. Ah, food’s here!”

Naruto kept the subject changed throughout their date after that. And by the time he reached home, he could only sit in the dark on his bed and stare at his phone where his uni courses were on. He sighed as he tossed his phone aside and lay on his mattress. 

Sasuke had already made up his mind. 

What was Naruto even doing staying?

***

Every time Naruto saw Sasuke studying, it was with the heavy realisation that his boyfriend was about to go somewhere he couldn’t follow. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to follow him… but he knew he _couldn’t_. His grades weren’t good enough to the university Sasuke was aiming for. It bothered him. Because that would mean that after this year, they would _have_ to go on their own ways. And… Sasuke knew that. 

He clenched his pen tight in his fingers as he looked down to his books in front of him. The Alpha was busy studying and hadn’t spoken to him in the past hour. A low sigh escaped Naruto’s lips as he went back to his language studies even if he wasn’t concentrating. 

What were they going to do about this thing between them then?

Curiously, Naruto took out his phone and quickly typed into the web search about couples being apart during studying. Instead of finding the answers, all he found were worries and the absolute resolution that they had to break up. Some had anecdotes about cheating due to the distance and not being able to make time for each other. 

It scared him. 

He glanced at the Alpha. 

What would Sasuke think about this? 

Had he prepared himself all this while?

He clenched his phone tight and then stood up, the chair squeaking and dragging on the floor loud enough for the Alpha to snap his head up and look at him. There was a furrow between his eyebrows that Naruto itched to smooth over but he didn’t feel like touching his boyfriend at the moment. Instead, he gathered his things and his bag, hiking it over his shoulder. 

“Naruto?” Sasuke said, confusion colouring his voice. 

“Gonna go,” the Beta said, tossing a smile at the Alpha to let him know that he wasn’t mad. “I’ll call you later.”

“Where are you going?” Sasuke asked, standing up as well. 

“I remembered that I have to go see Iruka,” Naruto said, lying. “See ya.”

He ignored Sasuke when he was called, preferring to dash away from the literature room. He made a beeline to his classroom where he knew for sure Sakura was there. He hesitated for a second before he left, jogging out of the hallway and out of the school the second he managed to sneak past the teachers. Quickly typing a message to Sakura to meet him after school at his place, he wandered home. 

Thankfully, Iruka and Kakashi were both out with their own work, making his home the very place of shelter he needed when he skipped classes. Heading into his room, he dropped his bag on his bed and took a seat near his desk, opening his laptop up and going through universities near Tokyo. 

As he suspected, the closest he would be able to go based on the requirements was _not_ ten or even thirty minutes away. 

He sighed, leaning into his chair as frustration and slight fear made a place in his mind. 

Drumming his fingers on the desk, he contemplated on his life and the life he would be walking with Sasuke. 

There was no way he could hold Sasuke back.

Did that mean he had to leave?

He frowned, his heart aching in his chest. 

But he didn’t want to.

***

Sakura raised her eyebrows as she sat on his bed, his pillow on her lap as she waited for him to speak. Naruto cleared his throat, rocking in his chair back and forth as the wheels accompanied his movement with squeaky sounds. 

After a few seconds, he finally blurted out, “Sasuke and I are dating.”

He waited for the ultimate showdown from his best friend but all he received was a, “Yeah, I know.”

Blinking, he said, “You know?”

“I’m not blind, Naruto,” she said, deadpanning but it was clear she wasn’t happy with it when she had a frown on her face. “I still don’t think it’s a good idea but even after all that, you still want him. So.” After a beat she added, “Just remember. Protect yourself first—”

“I know,” Naruto said, cutting her off with a gentle smile that elicited a scoff. 

“Okay, so why am I here and why did you cut class?” she asked, leaning against the wall and crossed her arms against her chest. 

Naruto continued to rock his chair until Sakura glared at him, forcing him to sit still. He took in a deep breath before he decided to just say it out loud. “Sasuke’s going to Tokyo for uni. And… I won’t be able to follow him there.”

Sakura remained silent for a while she furrowed her eyebrows. And then, she said, “What?”

“Sasuke,” Naruto said. “He’s… He’s going away after high school. We’re going to be apart.”

Sakura searched his face. “Where are _you_ going then if not Tokyo?”

Naruto shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t want to go. I just can’t. The closest uni that I _can_ get into is nowhere near where he’s going.”

“Hold up,” she said, raising her palms as she frowned deeper, almost like she was trying to understand the situation. “Did the Uchiha say that he’s leaving you or something?”

“No!” He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. “He didn’t. But I have a brain. I know what’s going to happen after our third year.”

Sakura hummed, crossing her legs. “So, you guys gonna break up?”

“What? No!”

“So, what? You want to do long-distance with him?” She sat up straighter. “He’s an Alpha about to head off on his own with no ties to hold him back. Do you trust him to go on his own and come back to you?”

He flinched at the words before he squared his shoulders. “Don’t be mean. I trust Sasuke.”

“I’m just saying,” she said. When Naruto pouted, she sighed. “Okay, so what do you want me to say?”

“I… I don’t know.” Naruto tossed his head back and stared at the ceiling. “I don’t want to break up. But what if we do?”

Sakura hummed. “Here’s a brilliant idea. Talk to him.”

Naruto looked at her. “I just said—”

“You’re worrying here about something that can possibly be fixed without ever giving the Uchiha a chance to explore the options with you,” she said, giving him a smile when Naruto’s eyes widened. “Look, I’m not the biggest fan of your relationship with him. But he makes you happy, at least for now and I don’t want to see you hurt. Talk to him.”

“And what if he says the very things I don’t want to hear?”

Sakura snorted under her breath before she got out of bed and grabbed his bag, searching through to find his phone. “Didn’t peg you for a coward, Naruto.” That earned a disbelieved squawk from him. She fiddled with his phone before she tossed it at him. “Go talk to him.”

Sakura stood up then, patting her skirt. She tossed a wave at him and left his room. Dumbfounded at what had happened, he glanced at his phone and froze at what she had done. She had texted Sasuke to meet him now. Immediately, Sasuke had responded with an affirmative and that he would be there at his place soon. 

Scrambling to get out of his chair, he turned and slammed the lid of his computer shut. Fuck. He knew Sakura was right. Instead of worrying about it, he could just discuss with Sasuke and be done with it. But the truth remained that he wasn’t sure if he was ready to hear the answers. He sighed. 

A few minutes later and he heard a knock on his door before Sasuke walked into his space. He stepped a few steps inside before he stopped, closing the door. There was a frown on his face that had Naruto alarmed. He stared at the blond-haired boy before his eyes landed on the bed. 

“What?” Naruto asked. 

“Did the pink-haired friend of yours come here?” Sasuke asked, his nose scrunching. 

Naruto nodded, forgetting a moment that his boyfriend had a sensitive nose. He got up to open his windows, hoping that would air the place even though he didn’t think Sakura smelt bad. Sasuke moved to drop his bag near his bed. Naruto gestured to it, earning a low huff of breath before the Alpha took a seat at the edge of his mattress. 

Silence washed into the scene and Naruto fidgeted from where he sat at the stare from the Alpha. 

After a few more seconds of not saying anything, Sasuke said, “What?”

“Ah,” Naruto said as he fidgeted a few more times before he took in a deep breath. He gestured with his hands as he tried to create the words he needed to say. “I can’t follow you to Tokyo.”

Stunned silence accompanied his words then before Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. His shoulders tensed. “What do you mean?”

“You…” Naruto licked his bottom lip. “No matter how I look at it, you’re going… _we’re_ going to be apart. I can’t go to the university I know you’re going to end up in. The closest I can be is not even that close.”

“What are you saying?” Sasuke said, his gaze not wavering and his face a blank mask. 

Naruto swallowed a lump that formed in his throat as he scratched the back of his neck. “I… I’m wondering if it’s worth it to be together if we’re just going to end up separated at the end.” Sasuke’s eyes widened and Naruto shook his head, knowing that he worded it wrong. “I mean! I’ve looked it up online and people in relationships don’t often survive a long-distance.”

“Long-distance,” Sasuke said, pursing his lips before he sighed. “Naruto, we’re not even done with our senior year.” Naruto thought he would be upset but when the corners of the Alpha’s lips twitches upwards, he was only left dumbfounded. “You’re already thinking about us that far?”

Naruto’s cheeks warmed as he crossed his arms against his chest. “So what? Don’t tell me you didn’t. Look,” he said, leaning forward. “You told me you have a plan in your life. You had that before you even met me. Where do I even fit in those plans, Sasuke?”

Sasuke sat further at the edge of the mattress before he leaned forward, placing his forearms on hisknees. “You’re in my plans. The second I decided I want you, I adjusted my plans to accommodate you. You don’t need to worry about that.”

“How can I not worry? Did you not hear that I won’t be able to follow you to your uni?” Naruto felt put off. 

Was he the only one worried about it here?

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, cracking a smile that further confused the blond-haired boy. “What made you even think that we’ll be in a long-distance relationship?”

Naruto blinked. “Did studying too much got to you?”

“I mean,” Sasuke said. “I’m not planning to not seeing you until I graduate from uni or something.” He raised his eyebrows. “I got you to be mine. There’s no way I’m letting you go now. I’ll just come see you every weekend. We’ll go on trips during breaks. Maybe we’ll even get a place together.”

Taken aback at the callous way of Sasuke sharing his plans, Naruto brought a knee against his chest and looked at him. “It’s not going to be easy. What if I’m like five hours away from you? Are you going to come visit me every weekend?”

“I will,” Sasuke said, not even hesitating. “Will you?”

Naruto searched his face. “I’m offended you even have to ask that, asshole.”

“Look,” Sasuke said with a soft breath. “All I’m saying is I’m not going to let you go just because we’ll be away from each other for a short time. I’m planning to spend a longer time with you.” After a beat he added, “And I’ll make whatever sacrifices I need to to have you and my goal.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

Sasuke shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be complicated.” The Alpha then leaned forward to grab the arms of his chair and dragged him close until Naruto was between his legs. When those dark eyes met his, the Alpha said, “All you have to do is trust me.”

“I do trust you,” Naruto said. 

“Then, you have nothing to worry about.”

The Beta didn’t think he could let go of his worry that easily. Especially when he had heard stories from his seniors who were now dragged to dating parties left and right and were always surrounded by things he didn’t want to imagine Sasuke in. Something must’ve crossed on his face because the Alpha placed a hand on his knee and squeezed it. 

“What is it?” Sasuke said. 

“What…” Naruto huffed a breath, already disliking the very idea of it. But he knew how attractive the Alpha was. He had garnered such attention in high school, it would be even worse when he went to a university in the city. “What would you do when pretty university girls come up to you to bother you?” 

Sasuke snorted under his breath, his grip on his leg tightened. “What do you think I’ll do?”

“Probably make them cry with a glare,” Naruto said, earning a brief chuckle from the boy before him, making him feel better. “Sasuke?”

“I’ll tell them I’m not interested,” Sasuke said. “Okay?” 

“Look, man, it’s not that I’m being jealous for nothing but…”

“You think I wouldn’t be jealous if you’re out of my sight and guys and girls approach you left and right?” Sasuke said, raising his eyebrows. “I will be really jealous.”

“I’ll tell them I’m taken,” Naruto said, narrowing his eyes. “Will you?”

“It’s none of their business if I’m taken or not—”

“ _Sasuke_.”

The Alpha sighed before he searched his face and then nodded. “Fine.”

Naruto held out his pinkie finger which earned a deadpanned look. He shook his hand when Sasuke made no move to take it. “Take it. Make a promise.”

“You’re such a child,” Sasuke muttered but he did take his pinkie finger, making a promise with him. “Happy now?”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, which earned a smile from his boyfriend. 

“For now, let’s just forget about that,” Sasuke said. “Is this why you’ve been acting so weirdly these few days?”

Naruto grinned, giving him a sheepish look. When he earned an eye-roll at that, Naruto didn’t hesitate to kick Sasuke’s shin, earning a grunt of pain. “I was worried, bastard.”

“Can you stop hurting me for one-second, dumbass!” Sasuke said as he rubbed his leg.

Naruto merely snorted before he apologised, slumping into his seat. “Okay, I’ll trust you.”

Sasuke stopped rubbing his injured shin before he nodded. “You better.”

***

A book was placed in front of him. Naruto looked at it, frowning at the timeline written on there. He was currently at the lit room, studying when Sasuke had walked into it and smacked this onto his work. The Beta grasped at the edges to read it and take in what was written on it. His eyes stopped at a particular sentence at a timeline near their ages. _22: Live together._

Naruto’s throat dried at that before he snapped his head up to look at the Alpha who had taken a seat in front of him. The dark eyes looked serious. He dropped his gaze back at the timeline, his heart skipped a beat in his chest at the future laid out in front of him. They just had a talk about his fears yesterday and Sasuke promised that he had amended his plans to keep him in them. 

Was this a way to prove to him that that he did just that?

“What’s this?” Naruto asked, needing to hear the words from Sasuke directly. 

“My plan,” Sasuke said. “ _Our_ plans.”

“And when did we have this talk about our plans?” Naruto teased, earning a deadpanned look from his lover. He tightened his grip on the book. “Live together, huh?”

“Yeah.” Sasuke didn’t even bother with an explanation. “What’s with that look?”

“What look?” Naruto said, pressing a hand on his face. 

Sasuke searched his face before a smirk crawled on his face. “You’re blushing. You like the idea of living with me?”

“Shut up, bastard,” Naruto grumbled as he placed the book gently on the table. “I didn’t realise you wanted to live with me.”

Sasuke shrugged, leaning into his seat. “I made up my mind.”

The Beta didn’t know what he meant with that. He tilted his head to one side as he waited for Sasuke to explain. When it was clear that no other words were about to be offered, he said, “Made up your mind about what?”

Sasuke thinned his lips before he glanced away to look at the window. He opened his mouth and then he closed it, shaking his head. He pointed to Naruto’s book. “Yes or no to the plans?”

“Well, yeah,” Naruto said, slightly bemused at the nod from his boyfriend. He caressed the book. It felt like they were getting ahead of themselves but… he couldn’t deny that this was the future he liked. He wanted it. “You really want to do this with me, huh?”

Sasuke paused in the process of searching his bag for no doubt his books. “Yeah,” Sasuke said. “Don’t you?”

“Even if I’m a not-so-special Beta?”

Sasuke sharply looked at him before he rolled his eyes. “I don’t care about secondary genders. You know that.”

Naruto smiled. “I know. Hey, I’m keeping this book.”

“That’s my notebook.” Sasuke tried to snatch it back only for Naruto to pull it away from his grasp. “Naruto—”

Without waiting for the Alpha to retort, he tore the pages where he had written his plans and tossed the book back at his boyfriend. He shook the plan in his hands, grinning at the blank face of his lover. “It’s mine now,” Naruto said. 

“You’re an idiot,” Sasuke said but Naruto knew he didn’t mean it when his lips twitched into a brief smile. 

“And you’re a bastard. Maybe that’s why we work so well.”

And when Sasuke didn’t say anything to that, Naruto’s heart warmed at the silent acceptance.

***

Time flew and before he knew, they were preparing to take the entrance exams. He yawned as he looked at his phone while walking to the bus stop to head to the town. He had texted Sasuke but he was received with a gentle rejection because of his cram school. Naruto decided that after he bought the things Iruka had asked of him, he would grab something to eat for Sasuke later. 

He knew that if the dish had tomatoes, Sasuke would be up for it. He didn’t know what it was his boyfriend liked about tomatoes… but he liked ramen and he couldn’t make fun of Sasuke for it. Even if he did point it out just to fluster and annoy the Alpha once in a while. A silly smile stretched on his face at that. 

By the time he did buy lunch for Sasuke and ended up at the sidewalk where the cram school was directly in front of him, he shot the Alpha a quick message and took a seat at the pavement. With his legs half-crossed, he went through his phone and opened his online notes for his own exams. Sakura had taught him how to keep his notes he made into his phone so he could have an easy access and it was really helpful. 

He snorted under his breath. 

Who knew that he would be working hard to go into a university. 

All because Sasuke had walked into his life and made him rethink twice about his own life. And to be honest, he couldn’t deny that it was a good chance. Not when Iruka had tears in his eyes when he heard from Naruto that he wanted to be a teacher. He scratched the side of his face. It would be worth it and the more he thought about it, the more he seemed sold on the idea on helping new generation finding the meaning of life and helping them realise their potential. 

He looked up from his phone just as Sasuke had got out of the cram school building. His dark eyes pierced through his slight fatigue, making his heart skip a beat. Naruto grinned and waved, standing up. Patting the back of his pants, he leaned down to grab the plastic bag where their lunch was. When Sasuke stood in front of him, wearing nothing more than a pair of dark jeans and a black hoodie, Naruto couldn't help the urge to mess up his hair. 

Sasuke let him for a few seconds before he slapped the tan hand away. 

“It’s hot out here, Naruto,” Sasuke said. 

“Hot?” Naruto smiling. “It’s cold, bastard. Here, your lunch.”

“You didn’t have to,” Sasuke said though he did take the plastic bag. “What about you?”

“Nah, I’ll eat it at home.”

Sasuke frowned. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

Taken aback at that, his shoulders fell and his smile went rigid. His heart throbbed in his chest once. “Sorry,” he said. 

“No,” Sasuke said, grabbing his arm as if he was afraid that the blond-haired boy would walk away. “I mean… I can’t eat lunch with you now. Cram school.”

“I know,” Naruto said, realising what he was trying to say. His smile grew warmer. “I just want to make sure that you’re eating.”

Sasuke squeezed his arm before he dropped his hand to his side. “Thanks.”

“What’s that?” Naruto said as he cupped a hand over his ear, leaning forward. “Did you just thank me?”

“Shut up, stupid,” Sasuke said as he poked a finger against his forehead and gently pushed him away. 

Amused, Naruto mock sighed. “Don’t be an asshole.”

“I have to go,” Sasuke said. Naruto nodded, agreeing. He didn’t want to keep his lover here more than necessary. “Will you be home tonight?”

Naruto hummed, nodding once. “Yeah. Coming over?”

“Yeah,” Sasuke said, earning a brilliant grin from the Beta. “Now, go home, Naruto.”

“I will,” he said, patting his pants one more time. Before Sasuke could open his mouth, the Beta added, “I’ll text you when I get home. Of course.”

It had been a habit for some time now. He wasn’t sure why it started, it was just one day, Sasuke insisted that Naruto texted him every time he reached home if he saw him or knew that he had to go somewhere. He had tried to pry him out of him one time but the Alpha merely kept a tight-lipped to it. It never really bothered Naruto so he didn’t bother to ask anymore. 

Besides, he liked that Sasuke always wanted to know if he was safely at home or not. 

It was… nice. 

Naruto beamed when Sasuke smiled. “See ya, Sasuke!”

The Alpha merely waved back and Naruto briefly considered hugging him before he held himself back. Regardless how comfortable he was with this relationship, it still remained that they were an Alpha-Beta couple to the public. Some people wouldn’t like that and the last thing he wanted was for Sasuke to be mocked for it. So, he resisted the sudden urge and walked home. 

He was still happy that he would get to see Sasuke though.

***

“I can’t come over for a while,” Sasuke said as he took a seat on his bed, sighing. 

Naruto froze, letting that sentence to sink in his head. Just like the Alpha had said, after his cram school, he had ended up at his place. Iruka had beamed, seeing Sasuke and had ushered the boys to eat dinner before he allowed them both to camp out in his room. The Beta was excited to have him here, feeling like he hadn’t properly talked to Sasuke now that the Alpha was far busier with his studies and Naruto too trying to get into the university and course he wanted. 

What he didn’t expect was for Sasuke to throw him this curveball. 

“What? Why?” Naruto asked, sitting on the floor and placing his chin on the bed, frowning. 

Sasuke sighed, pressing his palms behind him on the mattress and tilted his head to the ceiling for a second. Then, he lolled his lead to meet the blue eyes. “I’m doubling down on my studies and that means extra classes after school and whatnot.” Pale fingers then reached to brush some of his blond hair from his forehead. “I won’t have time to go on dates with you or see you whenever I want.”

“Oh.” Naruto frowned deeper, his heart clenching tight in his chest at that. “Okay.”

He understood that they were close to taking their entrance exams but the idea of not being able to see Sasuke properly was… upsetting. He huffed a breath, getting on the bed to lay down and turn to his side to face the Alpha. Said taller boy had turned his body, placing a hand over Naruto’s side to cage him underneath Sasuke. 

“You need to study properly too,” Sasuke said. 

“I know,” Naruto whined, pouting for a second before he crossed his arms against his chest. “How long do we have to stay away from each other?”

“Not stay away,” Sasuke said. “I just won’t be available often to be with you. But when I can, we can hang out.”

“It’s still the same thing,” Naruto griped, his unhappiness leaking in his words. “You’ll still be absent by my side.”

Sasuke smiled at him just for a second before he scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re going to keep whining just because we won’t meet up as often.”

“Are you my boyfriend or not, asshole?” Naruto turned to his side again, this time with his back facing Sasuke. “I get we need to study but I thought you not being able to see me would…”

“Would what?” Sasuke asked and Naruto could hear the amusement in his voice. 

More upset now, he flicked a middle finger at Sasuke and glared at the wall. A few seconds of silence passed before his bed shifted. Then, an arm wrapped around his waist before a chest was plastered against the length of his back. Naruto froze for a second, throwing an annoyed glare at the Alpha who was now hooking his chin at his shoulder. 

“Whatever,” Naruto said, petulantly. 

Sasuke chuckled from behind him before his nose brushed against the crook of his neck and shoulder, eliciting a shudder to run down his spine. The Beta tried to nudge Sasuke away with his elbow only for the Alpha to tighten his grip over him and immobilise him. He squirmed a tad until Sasuke also put a stop to that by tossing a leg over his thighs. 

“Naruto,” Sasuke said. “I’m only saying this once.” The Beta glanced at him again before he harrumphed and glared at the wall. Sasuke shook him a bit. “Naruto.”

“ _What_?”

“I’ll miss you.”

Naruto froze then, the words burned into his mind like fire. He released a shaky breath, staring at the wall as his hurt and anger washed away to bring forth this emptiness in his chest. He squirmed once more, this time managing to dislodge himself from Sasuke’s grip and turn to face him. The Alpha still kept a loose arm around his waist and a less heavy leg over his thighs, keeping him pinned down. 

“You will?” Naruto said, earning a pinch of his cheek. 

“I don’t want to do this either,” Sasuke confessed, whispering between them. 

And that sincerity in his voice was more than enough to reduce any fears he had about the situation they were in. Naruto bit his bottom lip before he shamelessly lessened the distance between them and buried his face against Sasuke’s shoulder, tossing his arm around Sasuke’s waist as well. 

The Alpha adjusted them until he managed to slot his other arm underneath the Beta’s head and then tuck him close. 

“Okay,” Naruto said. “We’ll do this. I’ll show you I can do it. And in return, you have to get into that uni!” Sasuke nodded against him, snorting under his breath when Naruto slapped his back. “We’re going to make it, Sasuke.”

“Of course we are, stupid,” Sasuke said, his body jolting against him when Naruto pinched his waist in retaliation.

“Yeah, we are,” Naruto said, his confidence brewing within him. “Take it as practise when we’re in uni.”

That reminder of their close future dampened the mood just a tad as Sasuke tightened his grip on Naruto. “Yeah,” Sasuke said, but he didn’t sound entirely happy. 

Naruto wasn’t too but this was their plan. They had a plan and because he wanted them to last, he would have to be the one strong now. He pulled away, eyeing Sasuke in the eyes before he placed a tan on his cheek. “Remember our plan? We have to achieve that. Then, your ass is mine forever.”

“Forever, huh?” Sasuke said, his lips quirking up into something akin a smirk and a smile. 

“Yeah,” Naruto said, his face warming. “Yeah, forever.”

Silence washed into the scene. None said anything else as Naruto buried his face once more against Sasuke’s shoulder and letting the Alpha tighten his hold on him. They might not like that they were being separated, but they will stand together strong. 

Naruto wanted Sasuke to achieve his dreams and he wanted to do that for his own dream too. 

Sacrifices would need to be made but as long as they were together, they could overcome anything.

He believed that.

***

It was tough. While Naruto could keep meeting Sasuke during breaks in school, that was as far as their meetings went. Soon, exam season rolled in and their meeting even then had become scarce as they had to keep studying. By the time Naruto had finished with his entrance exam, it had been a few weeks and counting a month or two since he had last _properly_ hanged out with Sasuke. 

Since he last properly kissed him and hugged him. 

Since he last properly talked to Sasuke. 

It was like he had a missing piece to his reality but it was one that didn’t make him feel empty, because there was the constant reminder from Sasuke even from the other side of his phone screen that once this was over, they could make up for lost time. Even if it was for a couple more weeks before results if they got into the university of their choice was revealed. 

Before any big life changing decisions were made. 

He stood at the train station, shivering a tad from the cold as he wrapped a scarf around his neck and a thick jacket. Sasuke was coming back today from his own entrance exam and he wanted to see him. It had been too long. He kept looking at his phone, his heart racing against his chest the closer the clock ticked to their meeting time. 

And then… the train arrived. 

And then… Sasuke was here. 

Naruto stood up from the bench he was sitting on, his breath caught in his throat at the tired look his boyfriend harboured as the Alpha searched the crowd. When the dark eyes landed on him, his entire world zoomed into just Sasuke. Sasuke and how he needed to lessen the distance between them and feel his warmth against him again. 

A brilliant grin crawled on his face as he waved at the Alpha, yelling, “Sasuke! Here!”

Before he knew it, the Alpha had walked through the crowd and stood in front of him, the tired eyes were now shining in mirth and…warmth. Naruto’s grin brightened. “Naruto,” Sasuke said, his voice just as it had been when Naruto heard it over the phone just last night. 

“How did you do?” Naruto asked, nervousness bubbling in the pit of his stomach at that.

“I think I did okay,” Sasuke said with a shrug. 

Naruto didn’t believe him for one-second. He was sure that his boyfriend had done amazing and he was proud of him. He slapped Sasuke’s arm, still grinning before he said, “Well, I’m sure you got in, bastard. Now… my treat!”

Sasuke grabbed his wrist then, halting him. The Beta raised an eyebrows, waiting for his lover to speak. Instead, the Alpha merely squeezed his hand and dragged his fingers to interlace with tan ones, holding them tight in his grasp. Naruto glanced down at their hand-holding before he looked around them. His shoulders squared but when Sasuke merely touched his face, giving him a look, he forced himself to relax. 

He could trust Sasuke. 

“Come on,” Naruto said, pulling Sasuke with him as he tried to ignore the brief stares from people as they got out of the train station. “What would you like to eat?”

“I don’t know.” Sasuke’s response was short but it had Naruto huffing in amusement. “Tomatoes.”

“Of course,” Naruto said. “I know just the shop!”

“If it’s a ramen—”

“I don’t always go to a ramen shop, bastard!” Naruto whined loudly, earning a snort from his lover. 

“Sure, stupid.” Sasuke gave him a smirk when the Beta tossed him a glare. 

They continued to walk into town quietly. The stares slowly subsided until people no longer batted an eye and Naruto was glad. He squeezed their intertwined fingers, humming a song he heard the other day. His cheeks warmed when excitement fluttered in his stomach. Today wasn’t _just_ the day he could see Sasuke again. 

It was also the very day they decided to be together. An anniversary of when they become a couple. He almost whistled when he realised that it had been a whole year since they decided to try this out. Nothing dramatically changed between them but… it was there. 

“Hey, Sasuke,” Naruto said, earning a hum from his boyfriend. “Do you remember what day it is today?”

Sasuke remained quiet for a few seconds before he carelessly said, “The day I did my entrance exam?”

Naruto shook his head, forcing his legs to stop walking when they entered a quieter part of town. He looked at the Alpha before him, trying to gauge his reaction. Did Sasuke really forget? Or did he just not remember? When nothing gave away the answer from his face, Naruto lowly sighed and shook his hand away from Sasuke’s, grabbing his bag from his shoulder and rummaged through his things for the present he wanted to give him. 

Pulling out a charm pouch, he shoved it at Sasuke’s face, causing the taller boy to fumble and grab onto it. Silence washed into the scene for a whole three-second before the Alpha met his eyes. The pale hand shook the red and yellow charm in question. 

“A good luck charm,” Naruto said, scratching the back of his neck. “Went to the shrine the other day and…”

Sasuke snorted again. “My exam’s over, stupid.”

“It’s for your entrance exam results, you asshole!” Naruto said, pointing at him. “At least I got you a gift! I bet you don’t even remember what day it is today.”

The Beta pouted when Sasuke snickered. “I don’t need luck.”

“Oh?” Slightly upset, he made a move to grab the charm back when Sasuke merely pulled it away from his grasp. “What? Give me back!”

“Trying to take away a gift you gave away?” Sasuke said, mirthful. 

“You said you didn’t want it!”

“I said I didn’t need it,” Sasuke said, taking a step back when Naruto tried to make another snatch at it. “Not that I don’t want it.”

Naruto searched his lover’s face before his cheeks warmed when the Alpha rummaged through his school bag and got out his wallet. There, he spotted something he hadn’t seen before. Before Sasuke could do anything with the charm, he snatched the dark, leather wallet from his grasped and looked at the small window flap. There was a picture of him and Sasuke, one was grinning bright and the other a bored look on their face. He remembered he had taken this picture back in summer. 

“You kept this?” Naruto said, in awe. 

Sasuke hummed, plucking the wallet from his fingers before he slotted his charm right next to the picture. “I did.”

“You said you were going to delete it!” Naruto said. 

“I did,” Sasuke said without missing a beat, smirking when the Beta whined. Pale fingers flicked at his tan forehead, causing the blond-haired boy to recoil. “I just took a copy for myself before I deleted it.”

“Well, whatever,” Naruto said, his chest warm now from what he had seen. “At least I know you think of me.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, tossing his wallet back into bag before he got out a pouch. A wallet, precisely but more for coins. It was green and it had a frog face on it with little legs poking out of it. Sasuke grabbed his right hand and placed the pouch onto his palm. 

“What…” Naruto whispered as he looked at the coin pouch. 

“Happy Anniversary, stupid,” Sasuke said, catching his gaze.

“You did remember!” Naruto grinned, gripping onto his present tight. The thing was made out of what seemed like the softest material he had ever touched and the rim of the pouch were made out of faux gold metal. “You got me a coin pouch. A frog one at that.”

“You don’t like it?” Sasuke asked, pale fingers appearing in front of his vision. Naruto immediately took a step back, holding onto the pouch protectively against his chest. “You like it.”

“I do,” Naruto said with a grin before he brought the pouch to his eye-level like he was cradling a child. “I’m going to name him Bunta! Gamabunta; Bunta for short.”

Sasuke frowned. “What?”

“This is the cutest coin pouch, man,” Naruto said, laughing. “He needs a badass name to balance it out.”

“ _It’s_ a coin pouch,” Sasuke said, deadpanning. “It doesn’t need a name.”

“Well, now _he_ does!” Naruto stuck out his tongue as he continued to pat his coin pouch. Sasuke stared at him for a whole second before he turned to his side and pressed a hand over his mouth. His shoulders shook a tad as well as his ears reddened. “Oi, don't laugh!”

“Come on, stupid,” Sasuke said, as he cleared his throat and started to walk again. “I’m hungry.”

Naruto grinned again as he followed his boyfriend, gently placing his new favourite present into his bag. It was then he took a look at his surroundings and found his smile frozen on his face. He halted in his steps again as he turned around. Fuck… no wonder this part of the town was really quiet. When he turned his gaze at his boyfriend, he flushed at the amused look on his face. 

“What?” Naruto snapped. 

“Didn’t know you were so bold to bring us here,” Sasuke said, not even bothering to hide the humour in his voice. 

“I wasn’t the only one who walked this way, bastard!” Naruto said, loudly, shocking a couple coming out of a love hotel. He grumbled then, face still warm as he stalked away, Sasuke following him a second later. “Stop laughing!”

“You’re so innocent,” Sasuke said, eliciting a middle finger from Naruto. “Don’t you ever think about sex?”

Naruto twirled around, grabbing Sasuke’s shirt, his eyes wide as he glanced around. “Yo, man, I know we’re at _this_ part of town and all but can you not be so crass?”

Sasuke raised his eyebrows before he gently touched the tan wrist at his chest. “Did you forget I’m your boyfriend, Naruto?”

The Beta gritted his teeth before he yanked his wrist away, a shiver running down his spine at the darkening gaze on him. To be truthful, he had thought about sex. He had a boyfriend and he was a healthy teenager, of course he did. What he didn’t think about was the whole mechanics between them. He was used to boys in his class talk about their favourite porn actresses and actors or what they liked about in girls and boys alike. But they were often between known dynamics; Beta and Beta, and Omega and Alphas. There hadn’t been ever a curious talk between a Beta and an Alpha. 

He scratched the side of his neck. “I know… we should be doing _that_ by now but…”

Sasuke remained silent for a few seconds before he said, “We don’t have to do anything by now.”

Naruto searched his boyfriend’s face, trying to find the lie. He couldn’t but… “You’re telling me you never wanted to… do that with me?”

“Oh, I fantasise about fucking you at least four times a week when I jerk off,” Sasuke said, not an ounce of shame on his face. 

Choking at that revelation, Naruto spluttered, trying to find the proper response to that. The Alpha merely took the chance to lessen the distance between them before a pale hand cupped his cheek, forcing their eyes to meet. His heart skipped a beat when they were this close, apprehension and yet… excitement crawled and settled underneath his skin. 

“Why do you do this to me?” Naruto whined. 

“Because it’s fun,” Sasuke said, smirking before he leaned forward and pressed his lips against his just for a second. And then, he took a step back. “My point is we don’t have to do anything.” He shook his hand. “I have a hand for that. I’m fine.”

“That doesn’t reassure me, bastard,” Naruto grumbled, glancing around the love hotels. “I…I think about you too… but…” He made flailing hand gestures. “I don’t know how any of it works between us.”

“It’s the same thing as two guys sleeping together, Naruto,” Sasuke said.

“What? You did your research or something?”

“Yeah.” Sasuke said, shrugging when Naruto stared at him in disbelief. “I have a boyfriend and I wanted to prepare _if_ ,” he emphasised, staring pointedly at the Beta, “we’re doing this in the future.”

Naruto thinned his lips, nervousness bubbling at the pit of his stomach. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He tried to think about him and Sasuke entering a love hotel right now and then backed away from the wash of fear. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Sasuke, he just didn’t know if he was ready to be that vulnerable. 

“You going to let me top you?” Naruto asked, just wanting to confirm. 

Sasuke blinked, tilting his head to one side and for the first time since they ventured into this conversation, Sasuke’s cheeks pinked. “Do you want to?”

“I asked you first, bastard.”

“I think I would prefer being on top,” Sasuke said, though now Naruto detected a hint of nervousness in his voice. “Maybe once in a while we could… change things around. But…”

“I honestly don’t care which position I take so it’s fine,” Naruto said, shrugging. That was at least one thing he had made up his mind about even if he wasn’t sure about doing it now. “I trust you.”

Sasuke’s shoulders relaxed. “We don’t have to do this now. Let’s go get something to eat.”

“Sorry, Sasuke,” Naruto said, feeling like he had to apologise for that. Sasuke frowned. “I know it’s not a big deal but—”

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, silencing him when his voice grew stern. “It is a big deal. I told you it’s fine. I can wait. And if you don’t want to ever, then I’m fine with it.”

“Doesn’t every couple need sex to like—”

“No,” Sasuke said, silencing him. “Some people like to think so but some people also prefer a relationship that works without sex being the integral part of it. I don’t need it to know I want you.”

Naruto’s face warmed but so did his chest, a smile crossing his face. With just those words, his worries washed away and he could push this aside to think about it later. When the time was right, maybe they could revisit this conversation again but for now… he was happy that they were here, had talked this out even if it was a little. 

“Okay,” Naruto said, taking in a deep breath. “Let’s go!”

Sasuke grabbed his wrist, halting, dark eyes boring into his blue ones. “You’re alright, right?”

“I’m fine,” Naruto said, smiling wider. “I got the answers I need. It’s not like I never want to do it with you but… maybe later in the future.”

Sasuke nodded. “When we’re ready, we’ll take the step.”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, grinning then. He then shook out of Sasuke’s grasp and then intertwined their fingers. “Come on, I’m hungry now.”

“Stupid,” Sasuke whispered but there was now a genuine smile on his face too, one that Naruto rarely saw. 

Naruto chuckled, pulling him with him as they exited that part of town to where restaurants were.

***

Naruto always knew that Sasuke would get into his university. So, when the exam results came out and his number and name was on the board, Naruto had hugged him tight and bought him a box of tomatoes as a celebratory gift. What was surprising was the fact that the Beta got into the uni he was aiming for as well. It was the closest uni he could get into near Sasuke and that was not helping much since they were still far apart but…

It was something. 

In a blink of an eye, a new year happened and graduation day was here. Naruto stood at the rooftop, holding out a handheld firework and lighting it up, watching it sparkle in front of his eyes as he waited for his lover to find him. The day had been long and exhausting. He almost chuckled at the fangirls Sasuke ended up surrounded by, trying to get the second button on his shirt. 

He hummed a song underneath his breath, watching the sparkles die out before he grabbed another thin stick to light. The door behind him creaked open, causing the Beta to turn and look who had entered. His eyes widened for a moment when he realised it was Sai. 

“Yo,” Naruto said, grinning. “It’s late, man, what’re you doing here?”

He pointed to the orange sky, curious. Sai simply smiled before he stood in front of the Beta. Then, he handed him a sketchbook and on top of it was a button. Naruto blinked, taking the book gently as he eyed them in confusion. 

“Thank you for being my friend for the past three years, Naruto-kun,” Sai said, eliciting a smile from the Beta. “These are the sketches I made of you when we were hanging out. I thought to return these to you.”

“Return to me?” Naruto said, chuckling. “It’s fine to have sketched me…”

“No, take it as a gift of parting,” Sai said, causing the Beta to frown. “Oh no, not like that. It’s just that we’re going to different universities so.”

“Right,” Naruto said with a sigh of relief. “Thought I’m going to lose a friend.”

Sai huffed an amused breath. Naruto then pointed to the button, raising his eyebrows. He stopped for a short moment when the other boy took the button and said, “Ah, well… just wanted to give this to you.”

Naruto was a bit puzzled but he didn’t know how to continue asking the significance of it. Instead, he quietly nodded at the end, giving his friend a smile that was equal parts grateful and apologetic. Sai nodded. 

“Thank you for being my friend too, Sai,” Naruto said, holding onto the things tighter. “Let’s keep in touch, okay?”

Sai nodded again before the door behind them creaked once more, this time Sasuke walking in. The Alpha stood there for a few seconds, before he raised his eyebrows. Sai merely nodded at his direction before he turned to look back at Naruto. He looked at his friend a while longer before Sai walked away, swiftly moving past the Alpha. 

“Did he confess to you?” Sasuke asked as he walked up to Naruto, peering at the items in his hands. 

“No, but,” Naruto said, humming. “It almost felt like it.”

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows, making Naruto grin. “Don’t be jealous. We’re just friends.”

“I’m not jealous,” Sasuke said as he walked past him to the used sparklers. “Don’t see why he needs to give you a button.”

“Aww,” Naruto cooed, jogging up to the Alpha before he carefully placed the sketchbook and the button on the ground, crouching down to take an unlit sparkler. “Here,” Naruto said, handing a lit one to Sasuke who crouched down to take it. “And…” Naruto then shoved his hand into his pant pockets and took out his own second from the collar button. “Here.”

Sasuke blinked, looking like he was taken aback before he held out his palm, letting Naruto to drop it in his grasp. “You gave me your button.”

“Well, yeah,” Naruto said before he scooted closer to the Alpha. “Now give me yours.”

Sasuke snorted before he did, taking his button from his pockets and handing it over to the Beta. “Here.”

“Now no one will get this,” Naruto said, grinning. Sasuke merely rolled his eyes, placing a hand at the back of Naruto’s head and patting him twice. Silence washed into the scene then as they properly sat on the rooftop, staring at the darkening sky. A few weeks from now and they would end up as university students. How surreal. His heart throbbed in his chest. “We’re done being high school students, huh?”

“Yeah,” Sasuke said, voice just as quiet. 

Naruto thinned his lips, staring at the sparkler. After this, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy moments like these with Sasuke frequently. They would be on their own path to life until that moment they would be able to come back together. He tightened his grip on the lit stick. While he knew they had talked about it, it was still something he wasn’t really happy about. 

Something must’ve echoed in his silence because Sasuke placed a hand on his thigh, gripping it tight as if to bring his thoughts back down to Earth. When he glanced at Sasuke, he was met with a serious look on his boyfriend’s face. His breath hitched in his throat when the Alpha was close, their shoulders and legs brushing and their faces just inches away. 

“Don’t forget about me, okay?” Naruto whispered, earning a soft sigh from his boyfriend who dropped the half-list sparkler to the ground and touched his face, tucking a blond hair behind his ear. “Oi, did you—”

Sasuke leaned in close and kissed him, shutting him up. It was a chaste one but enough to halt his brain from overthinking. When the Alpha pulled away, it was with determination in those dark eyes. 

“Remember what I told you?” Sasuke said. “I’ll come see you every week. And we’ll make up for lost time when we live together.”

“Still going ahead with our plan, huh?” Naruto said, his bottom lip wobbled at that. Sasuke wrapped his arms around him and brought him close, allowing the Beta to bury his face against his shoulder. 

“You’re mine,” Sasuke said against his ear, as if to promise and ease his worries. “I’m not letting you go anytime soon, even if we’re apart. I’m not in another country, Naruto.”

“Still,” Naruto whined. 

“I’ll be here,” Sasuke said. “I’ll keep my promise.” A hand touched the back of his head. “You have to keep yours too.”

“Of course I will!” Naruto said, pulling away to look at him in the eyes. “I’m going to become a teacher and you’re going to take over your father’s business and… we’ll be together forever.”

“Exactly,” Sasuke said, smiling. “We’ll make it.”

And that was enough of a reminder to have the fear melt away and bring forth courage once again thrumming through his veins. When Naruto hugged him again, he repeated the mantra in his head. “Once a week, and during breaks, we’ll stay together,” Naruto mumbled against him. 

Sasuke nodded. “That’s the plan.”

And that was indeed the plan.

* * *

**tbc**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. 
> 
> A/N: As I said, this has one not-explicit-to-me sexual scene which I'm here to let you know where it is so you can continue to read it and skip past it if you're uncomfortable. It starts and ends indicated by the * and the starting sentence is ("Fuck, I missed it") and the ending sentence is (They let the silence to engulf them...). And the end-of-the-chapter side story also contains a non-explicit-barely at all sexual interaction. 
> 
> With that said, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as well and saw into the start of their university lives and as they mature together. Until next chapter tata!

**iii.**

**First Year of University**

Naruto glanced at his phone before he looked at the sign gesturing for new students to head down the hall for orientation. It was the first day of university and it was awkward being able to wear whatever he wanted to class without having teachers breathing down his neck about his blond hair or messy clothes and tie. It was awkward, but it was refreshing and honestly, liberating. He scratched the back of his neck as he glanced around the place, hoping he spotted Sakura. She had ended up in the same university, though a different course, seeing how they both decided to become a teacher and he couldn’t be more relieved. 

He glanced back down at his phone when there was a text from his boyfriend, causing him to smile. It was surreal. He wouldn’t be going to classes with Sasuke nor see him afterwards. And that mere thought brought him a wash of loneliness. It had only been a few days since he last went to Sasuke’s dorm… or well, a studio apartment that the Alpha bought for this occasion. At least he lived alone, much to Naruto’s envy. 

He had ended in a dorm with an Alpha roommate. He hadn’t gotten his name but the guy had red hair, a tattoo on his forehead and eyes circled with kohl, making him look quite the image. It wasn’t that Naruto was intimidated but he did wonder if they would have anything in common. 

_‘I’ve already started my first class. You?’_

Ah, right. Naruto had texted him this morning asking what would be on his agenda today. Humming, he typed back, ‘ _Heading to orientation. Trying to see if Sakura’s here yet._ ’

A few seconds later, Sasuke responded with, ‘ _Good luck. Call me after orientation_.’ 

Naruto grinned, his cheeks warming as he gave him a thumbs up emoji followed by, ‘ _Don’t get too close to Omegas and Betas._ ’

Sasuke merely response with, ‘ _Don’t get too close to Alphas, Betas and Omegas either, stupid._ ’

Ending their conversation with Naruto calling him a bastard, he shoved his phone into his jean pockets, scanning the hall once more before he finally spotted his best friend. Sakura was chatting with a few girls, giggling. From afar, she was carefree and girly. If only they knew how much of a brute she was. Snickering at the thought, he walked up to her and wrapped an arm across her shoulders, pulling her close. 

“Sakura,” he said in a sing-song voice. “Thought you would wait for me!”

The girls in front of her glanced at Naruto before they giggled, cheeks warming. Tossing a charming grin at them, he winced when she nudged his stomach and pushed him away, turning to look at him with eyebrows raised. 

“I did,” she said, smiling when Naruto pouted. “Ah, here. Stop pouting.” She opened her tote bag and took out a limited-edition ramen cup, handing it to him. The Beta beamed, grinning. “Such a simple mind.”

“Hey, this is hard to find, okay?” Naruto shook the ramen cup before he shoved it into his own bag. “Anyway, are you going to introduce me to your new friends?”

The girls giggled again, causing amusement to flash in his mind. If Sasuke was here, he would probably sulk at the scene in front of them. For the second time today, that thought dimmed his excitement, the loneliness once more washed over him. Sakura patted his shoulder as if she noticed his feelings and pointed at the girls. 

“This is Ayako-chan and Rin-chan,” Sakura said, introducing them both to him. “And this is my noisy childhood friend, Naruto.”

“Uzumaki Naruto,” the Beta introduced himself properly. “But you can just call me Naruto. No need any prefixes.”

The girls giggled and he took that as a good sign. They exchanged phone numbers with a flimsy promise to meet again if time allowed them before Sakura and him went to grab a seat, waiting for the orientation for their year to begin. In the meantime, Naruto took some pictures to send to his fathers and Sasuke, occasionally picking good ones to drop into the group chat he shared with the rest of his high school friends.

Sakura nudged his arm, catching his attention. “Has the Uchiha contacted you since he went there?”

“Every day,” Naruto said, beaming. And then his smile faltered. “We only get to talk for a little while during the day. At least I can talk to him before going to bed.”

“Hm,” Sakura said, shrugging when Naruto raised his eyebrows at her in question. “Will he come around this weekend?”

Naruto blinked, his cheeks warming at the thought of seeing his boyfriend again after a week of nothing. He grinned, the loneliness now being much more bearable. Right, Sasuke was going to visit him every week. They promised they would make this work and they were going to do everything in their power to make sure it happens. He nodded, getting an eye roll from his best friend. 

“Have you met your roommate yet?” Naruto asked, swiftly changing the subject before she could complain about his boyfriend _again_. 

“Yeah,” Sakura said. “She’s nice. An Alpha though.”

Naruto hummed, scratching the side of his face. “I have an Alpha roommate too. I thought there would be more…you know, separation between classes.”

“I thought so too,” Sakura admitted, crossing her legs and arms. “I guess they don’t see trouble pairing a Beta and an Alpha in the same room.” She eyed him meaningfully, making him glance away. “Does the Uchiha know about your roommate?”

The Beta gave out a weak chuckle. “No,” he said. “But I’ll tell him tonight.” After a beat he said, “Gaara. My roommate’s name. He’s nice. I guess…if being broody and quiet is nice.”

“Sounds like someone the Uchiha might get along with,” Sakura said, earning a snort from the blond-haired man. “What? I’m just saying.”

“I know,” he said, grinning at her. He nudged her once, earning a sharper jab from her in return. “Do you have plans in joining any club activities while we’re here?”

“Me?” Sakura hummed, shaking her head. “Studying for me.” 

“I saw that the uni has a volleyball team,” Naruto said. “I might give it a go.”

She turned to face him, nodding as her green eyes sparkled. “You were good back in high school. You should give it a go.” She curled her fingers into a fist and shook them. “Go for it.”

He chuckled, casually bumping his own fist against hers even if she didn’t intend for it. “I’ll think about it,” Naruto said but he already halfway made up his mind to do it. 

And from the smile Sakura tossed at him, he was sure she knew that too.

***

The orientation had been exhausting. Walking around the campus while simultaneously understanding their rules and customs here had taken a huge space in his brain. By the time he dragged his feet back to his dorm room after being forced to grab something to eat with Sakura and a few other seniors, it was ten at night. 

Gently opening the door, he blinked when he realised that the room was dark. There was a lump on Gaara’s bed and Naruto quickly deduced that he had gone to bed. Quietly, he moved around the place by dropping his bag on the bed and tried to get to his drawers so he could grab some of his pyjamas when his phone shrilled loudly from his jean pockets. 

Alarmed, he took his phone out and answered it without a second look at who was calling, tossing worried glances at the still unmoving lump on Gaara’s bed. Once he was sure he hadn’t woken his roommate up, he tip-toed to their shared bathroom and closed the door, sighing before he fully paid attention to the person calling him. 

“Idiot, are you even there?” Sasuke’s voice filtered through, causing Naruto to forget all about his tiredness and smile. 

“Sasuke!” he said, whispering with such ferocity and excitement that he was sure it sounded like a yell anyway. He winced as his voice echoed in the bathroom. “Sasuke, hey.”

“Hey,” Sasuke said, “why are you whispering?”

“Am in the bathroom,” Naruto said, tad sheepishly. “My roommate’s asleep.”

“Ah, right, you share a space,” Sasuke said, sounding mildly amused. Naruto rolled his eyes.

“At least I’m not an anti-social bastard,” Naruto said. “My roommate’s name is Gaara. He reminds me of you.”

“Oh?’

“Yeah, all broody and quiet,” Naruto said, snorting. “It seems I attract quiet, broody Alphas.”

There was a few seconds of silence before Sasuke’s voice came out a bit more alert, “Alpha?”

“Oh, yeah,” Naruto said, cursing himself for letting that slip. He sighed under his breath. It wasn’t that he wanted to hide this from Sasuke but he didn’t want to necessarily worry him. It wasn’t a new fact that the taller man hated other Alphas getting too close to him. Naruto had chalked it up to Sasuke’s Alpha being a possessive bastard, not that Sasuke ever acted it out. “The uni here apparently lets Betas and Alphas to room together. Sakura’s roommate is an Alpha too.”

“Why?” Sasuke said and Naruto could imagine a frown on his face. 

“Dunno,” Naruto said with a shrug. “Hey, I’ll be fine.”

Sasuke didn’t say anything for a second. “I know. It’s just surprising they wouldn’t pair same genders together.”

“Weren’t you the one who didn’t believe the hierarchy caused by secondary genders?” Naruto teased. 

“Shut up, Naruto,” Sasuke said but his voice was lighter than before, making the Beta smile. “Gaara. How does he look like?”

“He has red hair,” Naruto said. “And a tattoo on his forehead. Like on one side of his forehead. It’s ‘love’, the tattoo. He’s kinda bulky, I guess. Oh, and he has smoky eyes.”

Sasuke hummed. “Take care of yourself.”

“I will, Sasuke,” Naruto said. “How’s your first day of class? Did you make any new friends?”

“It was okay,” Sasuke said. “If friends you mean annoying pests trying to sit next to me and talk to me, sure.”

Naruto paused at that, leaning forward before he placed his elbows on the counter. “Hey, don’t let your fangirls and fanboys get too close to you.”

“ _Me_?” Sasuke said. “I should be telling you that.”

“Oi, I don’t have a fanclub and shrines built for you,” Naruto said with a huff.

“I don’t have shrines built after me, stupid.”

“You keep telling yourself that,” Naruto said, rolling his eyes before he met his own gaze from the reflection. “Don’t forget what you promised me, bastard. What do you say when someone asks you out?”

“Naruto,” Sasuke said but when the Beta only remained quiet, the Alpha sighed. “I’m taken. I’ll say I’m taken. And you?”

“The same,” Naruto said, grinning with a happy hum. “That I’m not available because I have a lover who’s possessive over me and treats me well by buying me all the ramen I want.”

“Nice try, you’re buying your own ramen when I see you this weekend,” Sasuke said, but Naruto could imagine the twitch of his lips. 

Naruto gripped his phone tight. “You’re coming for real, right? Even if it’s far?”

“I have a car,” Sasuke said. “I have a licence. I’m coming.” After a beat he said, “I’d like to meet your roommate.”

“Come on, man,” Naruto whined quietly. “You’re supposed to want to meet _me_.”

“You? Oh, really?”

“Fuck you, dude,” the Beta said, laughing to himself and earning Sasuke’s chuckles. His heart clenched tight in his chest. His smile faded from his lips. “I miss you, Sasuke.”

For a few seconds, he thought the Alpha wouldn’t return the sentiment. Quickly, he learned that Sasuke didn’t like to speak about his feelings too much but while he liked to keep his words to his chest, he often showed it on his face and touches. Naruto couldn’t see neither of them right now. 

“Me too,” Sasuke whispered.

Naruto huffed a soft breath, staring at himself for a while. He could only count the days until he saw Sasuke again. He wanted to hug him again. He just wanted him back. He bowed his head. He didn’t think this would be so hard. But they had promised to each other they would and could do this. 

As he took in a deep breath, he steeled himself to carry out the promise.

***

Gaara was a very quiet roommate. He minded his own business and on most weekdays, he would be out of their dorm room until after ten. He hadn’t ever seen him sleep in that early since that night of his orientation. Naruto wasn’t the type to not strike up a friendship, especially considering that they were now sharing a living space together. But he wasn’t sure how to approach him. 

And asking Sakura’s advice had left him with moot seeing how she just sneered and said she didn’t get along with her roommate. 

As he flicked a page on his textbook while sitting on his bed, he glanced up at his roommate who was laying on his bed and listening to music, staring at the ceiling. Naruto didn’t realise that he had been looking at him more than necessary when Gaara sighed lowly under his breath before he sat up, plucking his red headphones from his ears to hang them around his neck. 

“What do you want?” Gaara said, catching his attention. 

Naruto blinked, tilting his head to one side before he realised that his roommate was talking to him. He grinned, sheepishly at being caught. “Yo, man,” he said. “Nothing… we just haven't talked before so was wondering how to approach you.”

Gaara stared at him before he said, “You’re a Beta.”

Taken aback at having his secondary gender thrown at his face, slight nervousness bubbled in the pit of his stomach. Instead of showing that at him, he merely nodded. He was sure that Gaara would’ve known from the student dorm services when he got his key. 

“Yeah,” Naruto verbalised his answer, gently closing his book. “And you’re an Alpha.”

“Yeah,” Gaara said, quietly. “Leave me alone.” 

The Alpha got out of bed and grabbed his black hoodie that was carelessly tossed at his bed frame and wore it, looking ready to go out. Alarmed that he had offended his roommate, he opened his mouth and said, “Sorry if I disturbed you, man!”

Gaara paused, his hand on the door handle. A second of silence passed between them before the Alpha turned to look at him over his shoulders. And then he said, “I hate Betas.”

Stunned, he couldn’t find the right words to say when Gaara left the room, the door closing behind him. A frown crossed his face before he huffed a breath, leaning against the wall. What did he do to him? His neck warmed from the embarrassment and then frustration. It had been a while since someone had said in his face that they hated his secondary gender. 

And it brought a wash of disbelief followed by the familiar helplessness. 

Naruto shook his head. 

No. So what if Gaara hated him? He didn’t know him. 

Naruto crossed his arms against his chest as he glared at the closed door. He would just have to prove to Gaara that he wasn’t as bad as whatever image he had about him just because of his gender. He paused at his thinking. 

Yeah… he didn’t want to be like Sakura. Hating an entire class and let themselves be hated for being who they were was exhausting and while he still carried uncertainties about himself, he wanted to start changing the way people viewed him by trying his hardest to be the best version of himself. 

Regardless if he was a Beta or not.

***

It was finally the time Sasuke met with him again after a week of not seeing each other. It had only been the first week since they parted but the Beta thought it felt like a millennia. He hoped his boyfriend felt the same. He was waiting by the bench, a few steps away from the university entrance. While Naruto had insisted they met at the hotel room, the Alpha was adamant he wanted to pick him up from his campus. And here he was, opening and closing the messaging chat with Sasuke as he waited for his arrival. He tapped his feet on the ground in a random pattern, eyes glued to the last message the Alpha had sent to him. 

‘ _Will be there in ten._ ’

Naruto was pretty sure it had been _more_ than ten minutes but he was too jittery underneath his skin to type back a snarky response. In fact, since he woke up this morning, all he thought was how he would need to act when he saw Sasuke again. It was surreal. They hadn’t gone this long without seeing each other. Even during summer breaks, Naruto made sure he either went out of his way to see him or Sasuke would show up at his place without a proper head’s up.

That was how they worked and suddenly being torn apart and only getting to see each other after five days was—odd and not something Naruto liked. 

It was then he heard whispers around him, especially coming from a group of girls walking past him. Naruto frowned, wondering what the commotion was as he looked at his phone. There was one message there now, causing his eyes to widen and his heart to almost stop beating. It was from Sasuke; ‘ _I’m here._ ’

The Beta immediately snapped his gaze at the entrance and… the reason for the sudden whispers from his university mates. In a black, sleek car that seemed to cost more than Naruto’s belongings all together including the limited edition watch Iruka had bought for him as a graduation present, coming out of it with designer clothes that stole his breath was his boyfriend. Was the very Alpha who he had known since he was fifteen and the person he liked since he was sixteen. 

And now at nineteen, and just after being away from each other for a week—it was as if he was seeing a different side of Sasuke. 

Standing up, his throat dried as the Alpha took down his sunglasses, leaning against the roof of his car and folded his arms on the surface. It was as if he knew where Naruto was as his eyes landed on him. Without even a single hesitation. The Alpha remained there, radiating power and a certain aura that Naruto knew he had but never seen before. 

His cheeks warmed and his heart skipped a beat, a shiver running down his spine. And then…that passed to bring forth this happiness and—sense of belonging. As if the hole in his chest and the emptiness he felt all these days vanished. His feet moved without thinking twice, lessening the distance between them. He itched to hug Sasuke, to pull him in close and press his face against his shoulder, to feel his warmth against him. He wanted those lips on him and he wanted those arms to hold his body close like Sasuke liked to do. 

Yet, as he finally ended up standing before the very boy—the very man he was with; he couldn’t do any of those. Not yet. And it frustrated him. 

“Hey, loser,” Sasuke said, a smirk on his face, his voice was still as deep and still as—Sasuke from the last time he heard him. Which had been on the phone this morning but still. Naruto swallowed past a lump forming in his throat. Something must’ve flashed on his face because Sasuke’s smirk died. “Get in.”

“Asshole,” Naruto whispered, forcing himself to break eye-contact from him as he glanced around him. Fuck, they attracted some attention. He opened the car and got in, his body subconsciously relaxing as if his instincts recognised he was now away from eyes and in a space only Sasuke owned. He whistled as he took in the exterior. “Yo, I feel fucking poor.”

He wore his seatbelt, waiting for his boyfriend to speak but when Sasuke only started driving, he frowned. He turned to look at the Alpha, opening his mouth to bitch when he saw the tensed shoulders and jaw. Taken aback at the look, his heart throbbed in his chest in nervousness. 

“Sasuke, what the hell, man?” Naruto said, his nervousness causing him to babble as Sasuke continued to drive them. “We haven’t seen each other for a week and all you say is ‘Hello, loser’ and ‘get in’? The fuck you looking like I run over your puppy for?”

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, his voice calm but it had a certain underlying tone to it that had him closing his mouth, heart skipping a beat. He fidgeted a little at where he sat, trying not to look like he was intimidated. When the Alpha did glance at him, it was with a red glint in his eyes that had him holding his breath. “Shut up for a second.”

“What the hell, man?” Naruto said, choking on his words. 

But he did become quiet for a while, unsure of what was happening. He thought he would be able to at least get a small pat on his boyfriend’s back and then later go out to eat. Maybe sneak in a hug or a kiss or two. Had he been wrong? He bit his inner cheek, trying not to let his mind run through a million scenarios; some worse and some really bad. 

It was when Sasuke hit the breaks causing his car to screech to a stop as he swerved it to a side, Naruto was jolted forward. The Alpha placed a hand on his chest, forcing him back in a fast movement. His heart raced in his chest before the nervousness turned into frustrated irritation.

“What the hell?” he snapped at Sasuke. 

The Alpha moved then, his pale hand reaching for his seatbelt to unbuckle it from his body. And then fingers grasped his arm, hauling his body with a strength he rarely got to feel from Sasuke while his other hand unbuckled his own seat belt. Naruto yelped as he was carefully but still nevertheless yanked towards Sasuke. 

“What—” In a blink of an eye, Naruto was sat on his boyfriend’s lap as the Alpha dropped the chair’s back a little so he could sit more comfortably without the roof close to hitting his head and Sasuke inclined. “Sasuke?”

***** **“** Fuck, I missed you **,”** Sasuke whispered, a strong arm grabbed his waist to hold him close while another hand grabbed his jaw. 

Before Naruto could say anything, the Alpha yanked him down causing him to press a hand on Sasuke’s chest as their lips crashed. A sound escaped from the back of his throat as he scrambled to kiss him back. It was then Sasuke’s warmth washed over him as he tilted his head to a side and allowed the Alpha to pry his lips apart and push his tongue inside. A soft moan escaped his lips as he followed his lead. The hand on his waist tightened as he melted into his touch. 

He wanted to feel him more as he dragged a hand from Sasuke’s chest to his neck, caressing his jaw and his neck. Fingers danced to the edge of his shirt, pressing a thumb at his collarbone. He pulled away when the warm lips caressed the side of his face as they moved to his neck, forcing him to tilt his head to the side. The hand on his waist caressed the edge of his shirt before they splayed on his skin then, causing him to jolt forward and press their groins together. Sasuke let his jaw go to reach for his hair and kept his head tilted as his lips touched a particular spot at his neck and sucked it. 

A shiver running down his spine as he breathed out shakily, his hips moving forward and downwards once. Sparks flew behind his eyelids every time he closed his eyes. When the hand on his skin crawled up to his chest, raising his shirt upwards. Cold air had him shivering as he wrapped a hand around his boyfriend’s wrist that was on his skin. 

As the hot lips reached down to his shoulder, pressing a kiss there, Naruto tilted Sasuke’s head back up and kissed him again, the shirt now close to being taken off of him. Tan fingers tried to reach for Sasuke’s shirt as well all the while they made out, his mind spinning from the pleasure echoing within him. Belatedly, he felt the bulge near his groin and when he pulled away, panting, glancing down, he wasn’t surprised to find himself in the same way at the tent in his pants. 

“I…” Naruto was loss with words but he wanted to keep going. 

Sasuke pressed his lips against his again as if he understood, grabbing his waist with both of his strong hands and then moved his hips against his. Naruto pulled away and moaned, pressing his forehead against his boyfriend’s shoulder. Grinding against him, letting the pleasure now to cloud his senses as they chased after their completion. He knew that at least he wasn’t going to last. 

Another grind and he whimpered, digging his fingers against Sasuke’s shoulders as he pressed his lips against his boyfriend’s jaw. “Don’t think I’m going to last,” he breathed out, shuddering. 

Sasuke nodded against him, pulling away to press his lips against him again. And when Sasuke pushed his tongue into his mouth again, making their kisses messier and the rhythm between their hips growing frantic, he could feel his stomach tighten as the heat continued to pool at his groin. The tightness almost became too much and then it all snapped. 

A hand grasped his hair, tightening their grip that had him whining, the spark of pain only made him jerk forward once as the aftermath of the orgasm washing over him. When Sasuke groaned against his shoulder, shuddering as well, the grip on his hair loosened. They breathed out, panting as Naruto collapsed against his lover, burying his nose against Sasuke’s neck. 

***** They let the silence to engulf them for a while until the wetness in his pants became uncomfortable enough that made him shift. Sasuke snorted as he gently pushed Naruto away from his own wet spot on his jeans. Naruto glanced down as he sat up, grimacing again at the sensation at his groin. Placing a hand on Sasuke’s shoulder, he placed another hand on the Alpha’s waist and smiled. 

And then they stared at each other and laughed. Sasuke chuckled and Naruto laughed big and happy. 

“I can’t believe our first sexual experience is in your brand new car in,” Naruto said, squinting his eyes to look outside, “in what seems like in the middle of nowhere!” Thank god the windows were at least blackened out. 

Sasuke chuckled, shaking his head. “Let’s go.”

“Oh man, I hope the next thing out of your mouth is hotel because I need to change,” Naruto said, wincing as he shifted his weight on Sasuke’s lap.

“Yeah,” Sasuke said as he winced as well as Naruto moved away to sit on his seat. Sasuke turned to the backseat and grabbed a tissue box, handing a few tissues to the Beta. “Wipe first.”

“Fuck, thanks,” Naruto said as he did just that, unbuckling to quickly try and get most of the mess as he could, tossing then used tissues then to a plastic bag that Sasuke had used to carry other stuff. “That was messy.”

“No car sex,” Sasuke said, deadpanning as if he had checking something off from list. Naruto snickered, earning an eye-brow raised from the Alpha. “Stupid.”

“You’re the one that came with this idiot,” Naruto said, tad smugly. He then pointed at Sasuke’s messed up hair. “You look horrible.”

“You too,” Sasuke smirked, causing Naruto to grumble. “Come on before this fucking dries.”

And turned out it was another twenty minutes before they made it to the hotel. Sasuke had tossed his jacket at Naruto and told his to tie around his waist while Sasuke made sure his shirt was long enough to cover his own stain. Since they were at the basement parking lot, there weren’t many people around, much to his relief. And he was even more thankful that the elevators were empty. 

All the while, Sasuke kept a grip on his wrist. His heart thumped loudly, a silly smile still on his face. 

When they did reach Sasuke’s hotel room, he was stumped at how big it was. “Oi, you’re only going to be here for the weekend, aren’t you?”

Sasuke hummed as he made his way to his suitcase and rummaged through before he got out their clothes and bath necessities. “Come on, let’s go shower and take a bath.”

“What? We’re going together?” Naruto asked, his face heating up when the Alpha turned to look at him and raised his eyebrows again. “We _just_ did the whole grinding business. I’m not gonna strip naked for you!”

“Just for a shower, stupid,” Sasuke said. “I’m going to see you naked one day anyway if we’re heading down this path.”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, conceding with a pout. That earned a snicker from Sasuke as the Alpha lessened the distance between them. The dark eyes caught the blue gaze, calm. “Fine, come on.”

The Alpha looked bemused but he didn’t say anything else as he followed the Beta into the bathroom. Naruto tried to not let himself burn too bright in red as he stripped himself from his clothes. He kept his back facing the Alpha as he took in the large bathroom, wondering how much money he spent here. Thinking he would question the Alpha about it later, he made to the shower and took the pricey-looking shower head to turn on the water. 

A second later, a pair of arms wrapped around his tan waist, causing him to shudder and tense. And then a strong chest pressed against his back. Sasuke pressed his lips against his shoulder before his nose dragged to the crook of his neck. The Beta’s heart skipped a beat and his mind raced from one thought to the other, wondering if this thing between them would escalate faster than he could blink. 

But Sasuke merely tightened his grip on his body, causing him to close his eyes for a second. Then pale hands wrapped around his wrists before fingers grasped the shower head and gently pulled it away from his grasp. 

Sasuke pressed his mouth against his ear. Naruto made a soft noise as he tilted his head to the side. “Turn around,” his boyfriend whispered against him. 

The Beta hesitated before he did, taking in Sasuke’s face before his eyes slid down to take in his body. He pouted when he immediately came to see what seemed like a soft definition of abs. He pressed a hand on it, caressing his pale skin before he looked at his tan body. It was then it really hit him that he was naked. He wouldn’t really be this self-conscious but this was the first time he really bared himself to Sasuke. 

The Alpha raised the shower head above them and without a warning, let the water to fall over Naruto’s head. 

Naruto spluttered. “Sasuke!”

“You’re thinking too much,” Sasuke said as he pressed a hand on his face, cupping his wet cheek. “Just relax. I’m not going to do anything else today.”

“Stop being so fucking confident,” Naruto said. “This is your first time too.”

“I’m not confident,” Sasuke said but Naruto only eyed him in disbelief. “Not much.”

The Beta couldn’t help but to snort, his shoulders relaxing. He still felt awkward standing there like that in front of Sasuke. He grabbed the bath soap that the Alpha had brought with him and lathered it on his body. Thankfully, Sasuke didn’t say anything cliche like wanting to wash his body for him as the duo showered by themselves. It was only when they ended up relocating to the bath tub now with the bath tub creating soft bubbles and smell did everything feel even more nerve-wrecking. 

Sasuke had gotten into the water, Naruto making sure to keep his eyes firmly above his waist. Then Sasuke had opened his arms and gestured him to sit in front of him. The Beta hesitated before he saw the challenging look being tossed his way. Huffing a breath, he swallowed past the nervousness and got into the water, turning around until his back was showing to the Alpha. 

They were quiet for a few seconds before pale, strong arms wrapped around his waist and yanked him to sit back against Sasuke’s chest. He froze, just for a second before he breathed out and relaxed, pulling his arms away from underneath his boyfriend’s grasp. He curled a hand on one of the pale arms and the other placed at the edge of the tub. 

He had to admit, the warmth radiated by the Alpha behind him was nice. He ignored the detail that they were essentially naked and that if Naruto sat up, his ass would be up against Sasuke’s groin but for now, this was nice. He adjusted a little to placed his head against the strong shoulder, tipping his head to the side to sigh. 

“So,” Naruto said, earning a hum from Sasuke. “Did you make any new friends over there?”

Sasuke remained quiet before he pressed his forehead on Naruto’s shoulder. “Not really. Forced to hang around one or two people though.”

Naruto cooed, pressing a wet hand on the side of Sasuke’s face, patting him twice. “Poor baby, having forced to socialise.”

He yelped when Sasuke made a soft growl sound under his breath, a hand pinching his waist. “Whatever, stupid.”

Naruto snickered. “Well, at least you’re socialising, kind of. I haven’t properly gotten to make a friend yet.” 

“Strange,” Sasuke said, perching his chin now on his shoulder. “You make it easy to be your friend.”

His heart warmed at that. He grinned, tilting his head to look at Sasuke. “I know! Alas, no one wants to properly know this golden ray of sunshine.”

“Hn,” Sasuke said before he carefully added, “not even your roommate?”

Naruto blinked, sighing again only this time in slight defeat as he recalled what Gaara said. “Yeah… he hates Betas apparently.”

Sasuke’s grip on his body became almost borderline painful, causing the blond-haired man to jerk a little in his grasp. The Alpha loosened his hold, pulling him closer against his chest. “Change your roommate.”

Naruto took that in before he shook his head, earning a huff of breath from his boyfriend. “Come on, man. It’s only been a week. I have to give him a shot.”

“For what?” Sasuke grumbled, causing the Beta to turn to the side of the tub to look at him in the eyes. “He hates Betas, his loss.”

He knew Sasuke cared for him so he knew that he didn’t mean to make it sound cruel or cold. Still, the blond-haired man shook his head, earning a narrowed-eye look from his lover. Naruto curled an arm across his broad shoulders, playing with some of his black hair at the nape of his neck. 

“Maybe it’s a misunderstanding,” Naruto said. “You know, I told you he’s broody and quiet like you. Maybe I just need to keep talking to him and he’ll open up.”

Sasuke frowned at that. “Don’t. What if he falls for you?”

Naruto grinned, leaning in close to press a chaste kiss on his cheek. “Come on, dude. Not every Alpha is attracted to a male Beta.”

Especially one as abnormal as he was. 

The thought startled him for a second, broken by the scoff leaving his boyfriend’s lips. “You’re really an idiot if you don’t see how easily you can make people fall for you.” 

“Dude—”

Sasuke then pinched his cheek, causing him to yelp. “Stop calling me that.”

“Calling you what?” Naruto said, swatting the hand away to wipe at the bruised area. 

“Dude, man,” Sasuke said, the words sounding foreign from him. “I’m not your friend. I’m your boyfriend.”

Naruto supposed the topic about Gaara was put on hold for now and he was grateful for that. He didn’t want to give up that easily. After all, he wasn’t a quitter. Even if it terrified him a little that there was an Alpha who disliked him. 

“Then,” Naruto said with a cheeky grin. “What can I call you? Babe? Baby? Sweetheart? Honey?”

“None,” Sasuke said, deadpanning. “I have a name. Use it.”

“Nah,” Naruto said. “That’s not fun. Come on, you can give me a cute pet name too.”

“How about stu—”

“Stupid and idiot doesn’t count, asshole,” Naruto whined. “You know, in relationships, people like to call their significant others cute names, you know.”

Sasuke scrunched his nose as if Naruto had said something abominable. He rolled his eyes, slapping the back of Sasuke’s head. “That hurts, stupid,” Sasuke grumbled. 

“I’m your boyfriend,” Naruto said. “Don’t tell me you won’t spoil me.”

“I’m not _spoiling_ you?” Sasuke said, his tone elevating a pitch in disbelief. “Just because of a pet name?”

Naruto grinned. “I’m joking! I can’t say you’re the type of guy who would give someone they like a pet name anyway.”

Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow before growing quiet, not denying much to Naruto’s amusement. Instead, it seemed he went right back to Gaara. “I still want to see your roommate.”

The Beta blinked before he shook his head. That earned a narrowed gaze before Sasuke wrapped an arm around his naked waist and pulled him close, the water sloshing as the Beta struggled a little to not sit his entire weight on Sasuke’s thighs by accident. His heart skipped a beat at the dark eyes on him, his face warming even further. 

“Sasuke,” Naruto said, chuckling a bit breathlessly. “You’re just going to bully him.”

“Why won’t you let me meet him?” Sasuke said, cutting through Naruto’s deflection. 

“Because…” Naruto sighed as he adjusted his grip around the pale shoulders. “Because I know you. You’re just going to make an enemy out of him.”

“Why do you care?” Sasuke frowned. His words became less of a blow when Sasuke brushed his wet blond hair from his forehead. “He hates Betas. Let me hate on him too.”

Naruto snorted. “Don’t be petty, babe.”

Sasuke tightened his grip on his waist before his fringe was tugged. The Beta yelped again, slapping his hand from his head to glare at him as he rubbed his scalp. “That hurts, bastard.”

“Don’t call me that,” Sasuke said. “This conversation about meeting your roommate isn’t over.”

The familiar stubborn look crossed his boyfriend’s face and Naruto knew he meant it. He hummed, trying to figure out a solution to this. While he usually didn’t mind introducing Sasuke to people, he didn’t think it would be great if he introduced Gaara to him. He disliked Betas… he could be the very few people who disliked Betas and Alphas together. At the very thought, he squirmed closer to Sasuke and placed his chin on the shoulder, sighing as Sasuke wrapped his arms around him to support his weight. 

“Maybe later,” Naruto whispered against him. “For now, let’s not meet him.”

Sasuke remained quiet before the Alpha sighed and nodded. “Fine.”

Naruto chuckled, wrapping an arm around Sasuke’s waist this time and closed his eyes for a bit. Against his lover and the warmth from the water and the body against him was more than enough for him to fully relax and push aside future worries. For now, Gaara didn’t know about them. For now, he just wanted to focus on making up for lost time. 

“This is going to be tough,” Naruto whispered again. “Being apart from you. One week felt awful.”

“Hn,” Sasuke said, lowly but he knew that his boyfriend agreed when his grip on his body tightened again. “Remember our plan.”

“I do,” Naruto said. “I just wish it was easier to deal with this.”

“We were too dependent on each other,” Sasuke said, causing Naruto to pull away a bit to look at him in the eyes. “This can help us be a bit more independent before coming back together.”

“You sound old,” Naruto said, earning a pinch on his cheek once more. He deflated a little, knowing Sasuke was right. They only ever did everything together and a part of him did wonder if it had been healthy. Still… it sucked. “I don’t like it.”

“I know,” Sasuke said, catching his gaze with a thumb on his chin, tilting his head up a little. “I hate it too.” 

“You seem just fine,” Naruto said, briefly accusing him as a pout formed on his lips. Sasuke searched his face before his lips quirked into a smirk. 

One that Naruto knew was bad news. He opened his mouth to speak when the Alpha said, “The only reason I seem fine is because I know that by the time we’re 22, I’ll have you living with me. Then, there won’t be even a second I won’t be around you.” After a beat he added, “You’re mine, Naruto. I always want you.”

Naruto snickered, relaxing a bit more once again at the words. “You’re mine too, bastard. Once you’re living with me, you aren’t leaving either.”

He was aware that they both sounded slightly deranged but in their world, they only had each other. At least, in Naruto’s world, he felt like he could see a future with Sasuke. Far beyond these university years. It made him giddy. Giddy and nervous. He pressed his hands on Sasuke’s cheeks, smiling. 

And then, there was a far more deeper emotion he felt beyond what he was feeling for Sasuke. 

He didn’t have a name for it but it took over his senses and made him feel overwhelmed at the weirdest times. It made him want to smile and cry at the same time, fear at having to see a world without his boyfriend in it. He wanted to be with Sasuke forever. 

When Sasuke leaned into his touch, his heart skipped a beat and that emotion intensified.

***

It was the middle of second week that Gaara finally spoke to him again. Naruto had imagined the second time the Alpha would speak to him, it would be slightly better. But he didn’t expect for this topic to be the first to pop up. He had been sitting on his bed, studying as per usual while texting with Sasuke once in a while, last weekend seemed to have allowed him to fare better without his boyfriend this week, when Gaara walked into their room, his school bag tossed to the foot of the bed as he set on the edge with a flop. 

A few more seconds of silence passed by before Gaara said, “Are you dating an Alpha?”

Naruto’s hand screeched to a stop on his textbook when the question registered in his head. His eyes widened and his heart raced in his chest, mostly out of panic. He glanced at Gaara, wondering what his reaction should be. He already made a decision to not let people know the secondary gender of the person he was dating, knowing that some people wouldn’t accept it. But he hadn’t decided what he would do if people _did_ find out. 

He fiddled with his pen, contemplating for a second to rush to the door. 

At the end, he steeled his nerves and looked at Gaara in the eyes. “Yeah,” he said, a frown on his face. “How did you know?”

“Saw you when he came around to pick you up,” Gaara said, his gaze unnerving. “You also smell like him.”

“Smell?” Naruto frowned deeper, grabbing the edge of his shirt to sniff. But all he smelt was his detergent and fabric softener. “I don’t—”

“You smell like an Alpha scented you,” Gaara said. “Betas don’t usually sense the difference. But we do.”

Naruto’s face warmed. Scented. He had been scented. While he knew that Omega-Alpha couples often scented, more so it kept people knowing that they were taken and it provided comfort to the pair, he didn’t think that that applied to him. Sasuke hadn’t brought it up and Naruto, frankly, didn’t think that option existed between them. 

He sniffed his shirt at a desperate attempt to hide his reddening face. “Really?”

Grabbing his phone, he was about to text Sasuke when Gaara said, “Alphas aren’t supposed to scent Betas.”

His fingers froze on the keyboard. Naruto blinked, his heart tightening against his chest before it sunk to the bottom of his stomach at the blank face on his roommate’s face. A little offended, yet with this…sickening sense of defeat, he nodded and then added a shrug. 

“Yeah,” Naruto said. “I didn’t know he scented me.”

“He didn’t tell you?” For the first time since the conversation started, Gaara’s voice took on a different tone. As if he was surprised. “It’s intimate. Scenting.”

“I know,” Naruto said. “But I am his boyfriend. So maybe…”

“Alphas aren’t supposed to scent Betas,” Gaara said with a frown. “That’s not how it’s done.”

The Beta placed his phone back on the bed, a loud sigh escaping his lips before he looked at the other man. “I know.”

Gaara continued to stare at him, his face returning to its monotonous mask after a while. The Alpha then leaned forward, placing his forearms on his knees. “It’s not going to last. Alphas and Betas being together.” He then stood up, moving to the bathroom. The last thing he said before the door slammed close was, “Sooner or later, they choose who they’re meant to be with. An Omega.”

Naruto gritted his teeth, glaring at the closed door where the rude Alpha was. Did Gaara think that he wasn’t aware of it? He knew that such relationships were unheard of. It was weird, it wasn’t normal. He wasn’t normal. But it didn’t mean that Gaara had any right to spat it back in his face. Years old insecurities rushed back and took a home in his mind. 

He glanced at his phone where his half-written message was. 

He knew that Sasuke was an Alpha and no matter how much he tried to ignore it, one day, it was going to bite him in the ass. 

Biting his bottom lip, he got out of bed with a sigh, snatching his textbook and phone. He didn’t think he could stay in the same space as Gaara for now. He wasn’t sure why he disliked Naruto so much besides his secondary gender but he would just have to figure it out later. 

And…when weekend came, he would need to ask Sasuke if it was true he was being scented. 

His heart skipped a beat. 

He didn’t mind being scented now that the option was on the table. He just didn’t know how to react to it when others caught on. 

***

Sakura hummed under her breath as she chewed on her third slice of apple. They were currently at the university cafe, enjoying the small break between classes. Naruto had finally told her what had happened with his roommate and he expected her to agree,but instead, she simply listened and nodded, not saying anything else for a few seconds. 

“Well,” Sakura said, leaning forward a little. “He’s not wrong, is he?”

“Sakura,” Naruto said. 

“Look,” his best friend said. “Just ignore him. He doesn’t know about you and Sasuke and assumes otherwise.”

Naruto raised his eyebrows, not expecting that out of her. “You’re not gonna agree with him?”

“Well,” Sakura said. “I also can tell you’re happy with him. So…whatever.” After a beat she added, “Plus, you have me. If the Uchiha tries anything and makes you unhappy, I’ll tear you a new one. I didn’t think he would scent you, though.”

Naruto sighed, nodding. “I didn’t think he would scent me either. He didn’t even tell me.”

“Have you asked him about it?”

“No,” the Beta admitted, grimacing. “I think it’s best if I asked him in person.”

“Since when are you rational?” Sakura said, earning a put out sigh from the Beta. That had her cracking a grin. “I’m kidding.”

“It’s just… scenting me?” Naruto shrugged. “I’m a Beta.”

“Naruto,” Sakura said, munching on her fourth slice of apple. “If you’re asking me for an answer to why he scented you, I don’t have any.” She smiled. “You would have better chances asking the Uchiha.”

Naruto huffed a breath, tilting his head back and crossing his arms against his chest. “It’s just weird!”

“Do you not like him scenting you?”

The Beta shook his head, leaning forward to place his chin on the table. “It’s not that I don’t like it. I’m just… It’s useless to do that to me.”

“Is it now?” Sakura said, causing him to sit up a bit to look at him. At the curious look on his face, the pink-haired woman continued with, “Are you sure?”

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“Alphas and Omegas scent for one of two reasons,” Sakura said, sounding far more educated on this topic for someone who disliked the other secondary genders. “One is to make others know that you are their family, a part of their pack if you wanna be primitive. A sense of comfort and feeling like you belong.” She leaned forward, eyeing him. “And the second is to let others know that they should stay away from the person they scented. The whole ‘they’re mine growl growl’ thing.”

“You don’t think…” Naruto frowned though his heart skipping a beat told him that he was actually more than pleased at this revelation. 

The Alpha might not admit it but he was a possessive man. Not that he ever did anything about it, but it was clear he had tendencies to remind Naruto that he was his and vice versa, as if he wanted to solidify this relationship further. It wasn’t as if Naruto hated it. In fact, he wanted the same from Sasuke. He just didn’t think the Alpha would go as far as doing something like this from someone who kept telling him that their secondary genders mounted nothing. 

“You should talk to him,” Sakura said as she finished her last slice of apple. “And tell your roommate to shut up about things he don’t understand.”

“So you don’t agree with him after all?”

“I see his point,” Sakura said, conceding before she stood up. “But me seeing where he’s coming from doesn’t mean I’ll side with him when I know the…” She looked pained when she said the next part, “When I know the Uchiha makes you happy.”

Naruto smiled, chuckling a little as she slapped his shoulder. “Thanks, Sakura.”

She grinned. “Of course, I’m not your friend for nothing, idiot.”

***

The next time Naruto saw Sasuke, it was the weekend as per usual. He was sat in front of Sasuke who was busy with his assignment, not that the Beta minded as he was hunched over his own work. It was just knowing that they were together and in close proximity again that made him finally relax in his own skin after five days without him. Still, he kept a close eye on Sasuke since he met him today. 

He wanted to see if Sasuke did scent him. But so far, besides making out for the past thirty minutes before going back to their work; nothing was amiss. Sasuke glanced up from his laptop, catching his eyes from across the bed. Naruto startled, giving him a sheepish smile before he scratched the side of his face and went to stare at his own laptop screen, no words appearing in his mind. 

“What?” Sasuke said, catching his gaze. 

Naruto shrugged, his heart racing against his chest as nervousness bubbled within him. He did want to ask Sasuke about it but he wasn’t sure where or how to begin. Would Sasuke be mad if he did? He wasn’t sure. 

“Nothing,” Naruto said at the end, tossing a smile at his boyfriend as he forcibly dragged his gaze back on his laptop. 

“Then why does your face look like that?” Sasuke asked, his laptop being placed in front of him as he gave Naruto his full attention. 

It was then the Beta knew that there was no way he could get out of this now. He contemplated on his words as he closed the lid of his laptop and placed it aside, taking in a deep breath. The dark gaze on him had him wanting to fidget at where he sat. This was just Sasuke. Surely he would just answer him. 

He almost snorted as memories of Sasuke doing anything but answer him unless forced crossed his mind. 

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, catching his gaze. 

“Just…” Naruto licked his bottom lip. “The last time we met… did you scent me?”

He thought the first thing Sasuke would do was to brush it off. But that wasn't what happened. Instead, the Alpha sat straighter, placing his laptop now to his side before his gaze narrowed. He searched Naruto’s face before his eyes landed on his neck. Naruto’s face warmed. He curled his fingers into fists, not allowing the urge to touch his neck to take over him. 

When Sasuke didn't answer him though, Naruto prodded with, “It’s okay if you did. I don’t mind it. I’m just wondering why you didn’t mention it to me.”

“Who told you?” Sasuke said, catching his eyes again as his voice wasn’t showing any emotion. 

Alarmed, Naruto said, “Gaara.”

“Your Alpha roommate?”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, nodding. 

Sasuke huffed a breath, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I scented you. It happened by accident when you were about to leave.”

“Oh,” Naruto said, blinking at the confession. “So, you didn’t mean to.”

Sasuke stared at him for a bit longer before he said, “Doesn’t mean I didn’t want to.”

Naruto couldn’t help the momentary smile crossing his lips. “You could’ve just told me, bastard.”

Sasuke shrugged, his pale cheeks seem to tint in pink much to Naruto’s amusement. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Naruto said. “I… I didn't realise that option was on the table. Especially since I’m a Beta. It’s—”

“I don’t care,” Sasuke said. “I just wanted to.”

“Do you want to keep scenting me?”

“Yes.” The answer that left the Alpha’s lips were straightforward and without hesitation. 

Naruto grinned then, his heart fluttering in his chest as warmth washed over him. The familiar tingles and the overwhelming need to hold Sasuke once more took over his senses. Lately, he had been feeling this way and while he was at loss of words on what this emotion could be, he really did find himself falling into this deeper and deeper as he went along. 

“Okay,” Naruto said. Sakura’s words then floated into his mind, the significance of scenting. His heart skipped a beat as he took the chance to ask, “What… Why do you scent me though? Sakura told me that it’s for one of two reasons but.”

“What are the reasons?” Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow and looking far more attractive than he had any right to be. 

His stomach squeezed as he licked his bottom lip. “One is to make sure they felt wanted and comforted. And the second… to let other people know that they belong to the person who scented them.”

It was then those dark eyes flashed in red, stealing his breath away. Warmth that had been covering every inch of him now flooded to the pit of his stomach, concentrating there. The same dark look had been tossed at him once, in the car where he had found himself losing rationality and letting go. Trusting Sasuke to take care of him. He bit his inner cheek from saying anything though. They hadn’t gone near to anything as such since that day, Sasuke preferring to end their make out sessions with a tight hug. 

Not that Naruto complained but… he had needs too and he frequently found himself acquainted with his right hand and fantasies fuelled of Sasuke. 

Ones that he would take to his grave. 

“Which one do you think is the reason why I scented you?” Sasuke said, tilting his head to one side as the air between them turned into something charged. 

Naruto didn’t know the answer. He knew that the man before him liked the idea of the Beta admitting he was his. But he wasn’t sure if that was indeed the reason why he scented him, even if it was by accident. He swallowed past his dry throat, searching for any cracks in the mask Sasuke was wearing so he could have a hint on what the answer was. 

But the bastard was good at keeping every emotion to himself. 

At the end, the Beta said, “To… the second reason.”

Sasuke hummed and it seemed that had been the cue because the Alpha then crawled up to him until they were just inches away from touching each other. Naruto held his breath when a pale hand cupped his cheek, caressing his face. Sasuke then place another hand on his thigh, not doing anything but the presence of his weight was enough for Naruto’s heart to skip a beat. 

The Alpha then leaned in close until their noses were brushing. Naruto barely made a sound when Sasuke tilted his head and slotted their mouths together. Immediately, the Beta placed his hands on the strong shoulders, kissing back as his eyes fluttered closed. Bringing him in closer, he buried a hand through Sasuke’s hair, gasping into the kiss when Sasuke pried his mouth open with a thumb on his chin. The very next second was a kiss that turned messier and far past the realm of innocence, sending sharp tendrils of pleasure running down his spine and curling at the pit of his stomach once more. 

Without breaking the kiss, he got on top of Sasuke’s legs, straddling his thighs as he placed his other hand on the Alpha’s jaw, brushing his fingers in slow motion from his cheek to his neck. The Alpha wrapped an arm around his waist, flushing their bodies close. It was almost familiar to the time they did this in the car. Naruto barely registered it, though he did pry his mouth away at the last second, when Sasuke tipped his body onto the pillows. 

Naruto didn’t get to properly take in the change of position, only that his lover was now between his legs when Sasuke kissed him again, burrowing his tongue into his mouth as his hands left his mouth to grab on his waist and push him flat onto the mattress. A strangled noise at the sudden show of strength had him squirming. He placed a hand on Sasuke’s shoulder, trying to get him to get off him when he felt dizzy from the ongoing kiss. 

Both of them panted when they broke away, Sasuke’s grip on his waist tightened a fraction more as their crotches were too close to brushing. Half a mind, Naruto tried to arch his hip only for Sasuke to stop him with another squeeze on his waist. Naruto blinked, staring at the Alpha hovering above him. He closed his eyes when Sasuke leaned down and pressed a kiss on his forehead, just lingering there. 

It was only a few seconds later did the Alpha placed a forearm at one side of Naruto’s head, pulling away to look down at him. 

“You’re mine,” Sasuke whispered, causing a pleasant shiver to run down the Beta’s spine. The hand near his head then cupped his jaw, caressing him. “But…that’s not the only reason why I scented you.”

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows when the words registered in his head. He placed both palms on his boyfriend’s shoulders before they cupped his face. “Then why?”

Sasuke searched his face. “Because… because you’re…” Naruto waited patiently but Sasuke at the end sighed and let his weight rest on Naruto’s body. Sasuke buried his face next to Naruto in the pillows, causing the Beta to snort in amusement. Curious, he buried a hand in the dark hair and nudged him. Sasuke sighed again. “Because I want to be your home too.” 

The words were spoken directly into his ear and it seared into his brain in a way none of his words had before. His breath hitched in his throat, the grip on the black hair tightened a fraction. He didn’t know what to say to that. What he did know was that the huge, overwhelming emotion from before washed over him, making his eyes sting. He buried his face against Sasuke’s shoulder, holding him tighter against him. 

This wasn’t like anymore. 

This was something more. 

“What a sap,” Naruto said, trying to joke but when Sasuke allowed more of his weight to push him on the bed, he felt cocooned and safe. “Okay.”

As his heart continued to beat and Sasuke’s warmth washing over him, bringing forth more of the overwhelming emotion to caress every inch of him, he realised that he was already in too deep. He couldn’t imagine a world without the Alpha. 

Sasuke was his home. In a blink of an eye, he became his home.

***

The scenting thing was now more openly done, much to Naruto’s amusement…and frankly, pleasure. When he was about head back to his campus, Sasuke had forced him to stand still as he placed a hand on his jaw and tilted his head to the side. And then, the Alpha glanced at him, as if to ask for permission, one that Naruto gave away freely and held his breath when Sasuke rubbed his face against the crook of his neck. 

He had expected for him to feel those arousal business that internet had said he would experience when scented but instead, he felt calmer. Calmer and less of a mess and like… he belonged right here next to Sasuke. When the Alpha pressed a kiss on his skin before pulling away, Naruto chuckled. 

And that was another change to their relationship. 

But that wasn’t the only change. 

When Naruto spoke to Gaara again, it was nearing their mid-semester exams. Naruto had been sitting at his desk for once, going through his notes when his dorm room opened and walking in with staggering steps was his roommate. The Alpha clumsily took off his shoes, and swayed as he stood. Naruto blinked, watching him for a bit before he grew alarmed when Gaara almost collided head first against a wall. Standing up, he hesitated just a brief second before he rushed to stop Gaara from slipping over nothing and head butting against the edge of his bedside table. 

“Come on, man,” Naruto said as he finally managed to get Gaara onto his own bed, letting the body to slump on the mattress, star fishing. 

He placed his hands on his hips as he stared down at the drunk man. Scratching the back of his neck, he was about to move away when a groan from the body had him pausing. He glanced at Gaara before he sighed, deciding that it would probably be okay if he helped him out. He wasn’t sure if his help was wanted but he couldn’t very well let the guy he was sharing a dorm with look half dead. 

Not when he could help him at least get some water into his system. 

And this was why Naruto didn’t like to drink all that much. 

Ramen? Give him that any day. But alcohol? Not a fan. 

He walked to a small table located near the entrance of their door and grabbed a cup, pouring water into it. Then, he walked up to the groaning Alpha and placed the glass at the bedside table. After a bit of staring, he finally shook Gaara’s shoulders, eliciting another groan. 

“Water,” Naruto said as the man struggled to sit. Naruto had to hook his arms under Gaara’s armpits and try to get him to lean against the wall. In the process, he had to sit on the man’s bed, leaning to the side to grab the glass of water. “Here.”

Gaara stared at him, his cheeks flushed but the eyes still not letting any emotion to show. The Alpha didn’t make a move to take the water. Naruto cracked a smile, hoping it was enough to show that he was being friendly as he shook the glass in his hands just a tad so the gaze would lend there. Gaara did look at it but it was ignored in favour of staring at Naruto again. 

A little awkward now, Naruto said, “Come on. You’re going to die tomorrow if you don’t at least hydrate you—”

“What are you doing on my bed, Beta?” Gaara asked, startling him into silence for a brief moment. 

While the words itself didn’t really make him pause, it was when those eyes boring into his flashed red that had his heart sinking into his chest. He bit his inner cheek for a second before he took in a deep breath. 

“I’m trying to give you water,” Naruto said. “Come on, man. You look like death.”

“Get off.”

“Gaara,” Naruto said, grabbing Gaara’s hand. He forced the fingers to wrap around the glass. “Drink.”

Gaara leaned forward then, his eyes still flashing red. “How dare you—”

“ _Drink_ ,” Naruto said, frowning before he swallowed his fear and pressed a finger on Gaara’s slightly hotter forehead and pushed him away. The Alpha backed away, eyes widening a bit. “Don’t flash me those red eyes. I’ve seen them before and they don’t intimidate me. Drink your water, man. Come on. Do you want me to grab you some pain killers? I think—”

“Why?” Gaara said as he stared at his drink, cutting off Naruto’s rambling as the Beta got out of his bed. 

That had him pausing before he looked at his roommate. Gaara was staring at the glass of water and for a brief moment, he looked… lost. 

Naruto smiled. “Because you’re my roommate.” Naruto went to the bathroom and found the medicine. He walked there and placed the pain killers on the bedside table. “Take them when you wake up tomorrow.”

Gaara was still looking at him as Naruto went to his desk, sitting down to once more start studying. Tossing one last smile over his shoulder, he went back to studying. He didn’t think fussing about his roommate would do much good when it was clear Gaara disliked him. 

It was only when the bathroom door slid closed that Naruto looked up from his work, a smile crossing his face again at the empty glass sitting next to the untouched pain killers.

***

Naruto walked down the path to get to his class, listening to some songs along the way while he played a game, not really looking at where he was going. That was his excuse when a strong grip on his arm had him halting in his steps, causing him to snap his head to his right where a familiar red-haired man stood. Gaara took his hands off of him once he got his attention, staring at him with the same defiance he had seen a million times before these past few months. 

“Hey,” Naruto said, giving him a nervous smile. 

Gaara had never sought him out or spoke to him on campus before. Heck, he kept to himself in their room too. He took out his earphones, stuffing them into his bag while he waited for Gaara to speak to him. 

For awhile, Gaara made no move to do so. Naruto shifted his weight from one foot to the other. And the quiet between them felt tense. He had half a mind to ignore it and smile at Gaara but he didn’t know how well that would be received. 

“Come with me, Beta,” Gaara said, his voice low as he turned around and walked away.

Naruto pursed his bottom lip, staring at the retreating back before he followed the Alpha. While he knew that he should be more cautious, he didn’t think he did anything that warranted Gaara to be mad at. So, he safely assumed that wasn’t the case. It still had his stomach squeezing though as they passed by some empty lecture halls. Relief washed over him when they were heading to the university cafe. 

He furrowed his eyebrows, wondering what Gaara wanted to do here and why he was here. 

It wasn’t until Gaara and him were at the counter did he say, “What am I doing here?”

Gaara placed his cafe card on the counter and then said, “Order.”

“What?”

Gaara turned to look at him. “Order.”

Naruto blinked before he glanced at the menu, sighing under his breath as he randomly picked a drink. The Alpha bought it for him, not making another move to talk to him. It was only when Naruto had the drink in his hands did the Alpha finally look at him in the eyes again. 

“Debt is repaid,” Gaara said, trying to leave. 

Naruto immediately caught him by his arm, forcing him to stand still. He quickly took away his hand though when the Alpha glared at him. Naruto grinned, shaking his drink in his hands. “Is it because of yesterday?”

Gaara simply nodded once, not offering another word. 

Naruto snorted under his breath, earning a death glare of sorts. Though, he wondered if that was what Gaara had wanted to toss at him. 

“Thanks,” the Beta said, smiling. “You didn’t have to repay me though. I did it because you’re my roommate.”

Gaara stared at him for a bit. “You don’t have to lie to me.”

Taken aback at the words, he let the Alpha walk away. Only until he reached outside, that was. Naruto rushed up to him, walking out of the shop before he jogged up to Gaara. The Alpha didn’t bother to stop walking, not that Naruto minded, deciding to push his luck a bit. 

“No, I’m not lying,” Naruto said. “I did it because you’re my roommate. You don’t have to repay me.”

Gaara scoffed, again not really saying anything. Naruto hummed, sipping on his coffee as he continued to walk by the Alpha’s side. When the red-haired man did chance a glance at him, he sighed and halted in his steps, causing Naruto to do the same. 

“So, where are you heading?” Naruto asked before Gaara could say anything else.

The Alpha visibly bristled. “Get lost, Beta.”

“Come on, man,” Naruto said, grinning. “My name’s Naruto. You don’t have to keep calling me Beta.”

“That’s your secondary gender,” Gaara bit out. 

“Yeah, but I have a name,” Naruto said, raising his eyebrows. “Would you like it if I kept calling you Alpha?”

Gaara stared at him before he took a step towards Naruto. His eyes flashed red then. “Don’t go saying shite when you don’t know what it means.” He poked a finger against his chest, painfully. “Doesn’t your stupid Alpha teach you these things?”

Stunned at the words, Gaara walked away, leaving him to reel at what just happened. He rubbed his chest before he sipped on his drink, wondering what that meant. 

“Alpha,” Naruto said, mouthing the words. It sounded just like any other word but he wondered if it meant something else to them. He wouldn’t be surprised. Deciding to ask Sasuke about it later, he continued to drink his coffee. Even if Gaara had been hostile again, there was something there that he could use to become friends with him. “Oh wells.”

***

Sasuke looked exhausted. 

His hair was a disarray when he came to pick Naruto up and he was silent when they were driving. It was only when they reached the hotel room, which costed far too much and his complaints having been shut down with a ‘I’m fine, Naruto’, did Sasuke crash. It was more so he made a beeline to the bed and flopped on it, face first. 

The Beta blinked, taking off his shoes and following after the Alpha in a slower pace. He placed his bag at the foot of the bed before he took a seat. He stared at his boyfriend before he placed a hand on his head, patting him. Sasuke merely turned his head to glance at him before he closed his eyes. A few minutes later, it was clear that the Alpha was asleep. 

Naruto frowned at that, patting him gently twice more before he turned his body to fully look at the tired man. He tried to recall what happened this week with Sasuke but nothing stood out. He did mention there were presentations and tests coming up but he didn’t think those made him what he was now. 

Humming gently, he decided he would study while he waited for Sasuke, knowing he had a test coming up. He wondered for a brief moment if this was taking a toll on his boyfriend. He knew first hand that Sasuke tended to try and finish things early on a Friday so he could drive early in the morning on a Saturday. And then, he would leave late at night on a Sunday before his eight in the morning class on Monday. 

He stopped then. 

Of course he was tired. 

Scratching the back of his neck, slight frustration and embarrassment curled in his chest. Sasuke didn’t complain but from the way his dark circles grew darker and his face growing paler, he was sure that the Alpha was tired. And all because he had to drive to see Naruto. 

It was time Naruto did the same. He would need to talk to Sasuke as he wanted to visit him too. Ease the burden because this wasn’t a one-sided relationship. Just as much as his boyfriend wanted to see him, he wanted to do that too. 

Much to his chagrin though, when Sasuke woke up to him studying and listened to his request, the Alpha shot it down with a flat negative. 

“What? Why?” Naruto said, loudly as Sasuke yawned and pushed himself to sit against the headboard. “I can come visit you.”

“It’s far,” Sasuke said. 

“It’s far for you too!” Naruto frowned. “You don’t have to be the only one coming to see me, Sasuke.”

The Alpha tilted his head to one side before he ran his fingers through his hair, almost half-heartedly combing them to part heavier on one side. That merely caused some of his fringe hair to cover his right eye, making him look far more attractive than he had any right to be. Naruto tossed that thought away. 

“I have a car,” Sasuke said, crossing his arms against his chest. “You have to use public transport. I’ll come see you.”

Naruto thinned his lips, displeasure curling in his chest followed by a pang of inadequacy. “Sasuke… I like that you’re coming to see me but… it’s taking a toll on you. You look exhausted, man!”

“I’m fine,” Sasuke insisted. “I just ended up staying up all night yesterday to finish my assignment.”

That didn’t make him feel better. And for the first time since they started this, he wondered how often Sasuke did that. He didn't even have to ask if Sasuke did that so they could meet but he needed to hear it for himself. 

“Is it because you wanted to see me?” Naruto asked, his voice quieter. 

Sasuke raised his eyebrows. “One of it—”

“I’ll come see you next week,” Naruto said, voice growing hard when Sasuke opened his mouth to argue. “That’s final.”

“That’s _final_?” Sasuke said, voice tilting into disbelief. “No.”

“Sasuke—”

“It’s my responsibility to make sure you’re not tired and overworked, Naruto,” he said. 

“What about mine?” Naruto exclaimed, tossing his pen on the book to look at Sasuke fully in the face. He pointed a finger at the Alpha. “You’re my boyfriend. This isn’t a one-way relationship, dumbass!”

“Why the hell would you want to tire—”

“Are you seriously just going to keep arguing you would rather travel here than me going there even when you’re exhausted?” Naruto frowned deeper at the stubbornness crawling onto his boyfriend’s face. “Sasuke, what if you get too exhausted and you drive in that state?”

“I’m not a _child_ ,” Sasuke hissed, startling Naruto with the adamancy in his voice. “What? Would you feel better if we don’t meet or something?”

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Naruto gritted his teeth in anger. “Why the hell can’t you let me do things for you too? I _want_ to go there. Stop being such a control freak!”

“Why don’t you stop being a bloody martyr then!” Sasuke got out of bed, his voice growing loud. “I’m doing this for us.”

“Well I want to do this for us too,” Naruto said, getting out of bed as well. “Is there a reason you don’t want me to go see you? Besides the bullshit about me growing tired.”

Sasuke’s eyes flashed in red then, his cheeks tinting in pink, expression growing hard. “It’s not bullshit when I worry about you. And there’s no other reason.”

Naruto bit his inner cheek, rubbing both hands down his face. He didn’t understand why Sasuke was so adamant on not letting him be the one to visit him. He dropped his hands to his sides, his heart aching in his chest despite the budding anger and irritation within him. Sasuke stared at him, the hard expression still on his face but so was the tiredness tugging at the corner of his eyes. 

Standing before him looking like he had been rung out of the drier, he was still trying to sacrifice himself for Naruto and he didn’t like it. 

While he usually let Sasuke do whatever he wanted, he had to put his foot down on his one. Especially when their mid-semester exams were close by. 

“It’s either I come visit you or we cut down this visit to once every two weeks,” Naruto said, a lump forming in his throat as he forced the words out. 

Silence washed into the scene the second he said that. Sasuke’s emotionless mask broke, revealing a look of disbelief with furrowed eyebrows and a frown. The Alpha curled his fingers into fists, and his shoulders squared. Naruto refused to back down from his decision. Even if the Alpha looked like he was about to blow his top. 

“You’re kidding me,” the Alpha said, dryly. 

“I’m not.” Naruto shook his head. He crossed his arms against his chest. “We have mid-semester exams coming up. Are you going to drive in this state or worse just to see me?”

“You have exams too,” Sasuke bit out, annoyance leaking in his tone. 

Naruto bit his bottom lip, knowing they both were going to hate what he was about to say but it had to be done. “Then, we cut down this visit to once every two weeks.”

“No.”

“ _Yes_ ,” Naruto snapped. “I’m serious, Sasuke. I’m not going to let you do this to yourself. You’re not the only one who should make sacrifices in this relationship.” 

Sasuke looked visibly angry. It was the first time he had ever seen such a look on his face. Narrowed eyes that were bleeding red and body so tense that he looked like a wound up toy—Naruto feared just a second before he shook that thought away. 

The Alpha lessened the distance between them then until they were a few steps away from each other. Almost at a distance where if Naruto wanted, he could touch his boyfriend. They stared at each other for a long time, Naruto refusing to break eye-contact. 

“You’re an idiot,” Sasuke said. 

“Maybe but you’re an asshole and that’s why we work,” Naruto said, smiling a little. He sighed when Sasuke rolled his eyes, looking away. What a child. He took another step towards him and touched his right arm, waiting to see if he would be shook off. When Sasuke did nothing, he grew a bit braver and touched his other arm, hands then dragged to meet those pale fingers to grasp at them. “Sasuke,” Naruto said moving his head a bit to catch those eyes. “Come on, don’t be mad at me.”

The Alpha looked back at him, the monotonous expression back on his face. “I know how to take care of myself.”

“I know,” Naruto said, smiling a bit more when those eyes no longer had a red tint to them. “I’m just worried. Did you think this is an easy decision to make? At least until exams’ over, we should cut down the visits. And then we’ll have the summer to spend together. Isn’t that a good plan?”

Sasuke huffed a breath, taking one hand away from his touch to cup his cheek. “Stop sounding so rational. It weirds me out.”

The familiar jab had Naruto relaxing his shoulders. He grinned, rocking on the heels of his feet as Sasuke caressed his face. There was a flash of something in those eyes that had his grin dimming into a gentle smile. He knew exactly what that was. He closed the final, small space between them and hugged Sasuke tight, burying his face against his shoulder. The Alpha immediately hugged him back, his nose now nudging the crook of his neck. 

“Don’t be mad at me,” Naruto whined childishly as he squeezed Sasuke. “It’s hard for me too.”

Sasuke sighed and slumped against him. That was enough of a sign that his boyfriend wasn’t mad at him anymore, much to the Beta’s relief. “Once every two weeks,” Sasuke said, nodding. “I hate it.”

“Me too,” Naruto said, taking in a deep breath. “It’s only for a while. I _can_ come visit you but,” the Beta said, earning a warning squeeze from his boyfriend, “you don’t want me to. So this is the only option we got. Until after our exams.”

Sasuke didn’t say anything to that but when lips pressed against the side of his neck, Naruto knew that they had come to an agreement. He buried his face further into Sasuke’s shoulder, almost as if he wanted to melt against him. If he could, he would. Once every two weeks wasn’t going to be easy. He had become used to Sasuke for so long. Dialling down their meeting into just once every two weeks was going to make him _want_ to see him on his own. 

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. They just had to endure it. They had a plan for their future and they couldn’t let this ruin it. Sasuke needed to achieve his dream of his and he couldn’t do that while being half-exhausted. 

Naruto couldn’t let him do that. 

For his own good, they would just need to suck it up.

***

It wasn’t easy when the first weekend passed without seeing each other. Sasuke refused to end the call on Saturday morning waking Naruto up, citing that he was used to hearing his voice that day. The Beta could only smile sleepily in his sheets, staring at the ceiling of his bed with his loudspeaker on. He glanced to the empty bed next to him, relieved that his roommate wasn’t in yet at least so he was free to talk to Sasuke as loudly as he wanted. 

“My battery’s going to run out,” Naruto whispered, turning to lay on his side facing his phone. 

“Charge it then,” Sasuke said. 

Naruto snorted, pushing his torso up with an elbow on the mattress as he reached to his bedside table where his charger was. Shoving the plug against the port near his bed, he charged his phone while still being able to keep it by his side. Letting his head to fall back on his pillow, he listened the quiet on the other side. 

“Are we going to be on the phone all day?” Naruto asked, amused. 

“Yes,” Sasuke said, his voice booking no room for an argument on that matter. 

“Fine by me,” Naruto said, chuckling as he grabbed the extra pillow he usually needed to comfortably sleep and hugged it tight against his chest. “Are you studying?”

“Yeah,” Sasuke said. “And eating. Are you still in bed?”

“It’s the weekend, cut me some slack,” Naruto said, smiling wide. 

“You’re usually out of bed by now,” Sasuke pointed out.

“Well, that’s because you’d come see me by now,” Naruto said, pausing when the realisation that they wouldn’t be seeing each other this weekend hit him. He tightened his grip on his pillow, his heart throbbed in his chest. He missed Sasuke. 

“Naruto,” Sasuke said. “I can com—”

“No,” Naruto said, cutting him off. “You promised.”

Sasuke remained silent for a few seconds on the other side of the call before he sighed. “Fine,” Sasuke grumbled. “Hate this.”

Naruto could only smile ruefully at that, unable to say anything else but to agree. He hated this too. If he could ignore the way his heart clenched tight at not seeing Sasuke succeed, he would’ve let the Alpha come see him. He cared a lot for Sasuke and the last thing he needed was him becoming the reason for Sasuke’s tiredness and in worst cases, failures. Shuffling closer to his phone as if it could substitute Sasuke being far from him, he let the lull of silence to relax him. 

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, catching his attention after what seemed like five minutes of silence. “Go take a shower and eat.”

“I will,” Naruto said, huffing a breath. “I just want to continue laying down here for a bit.”

“It’s almost _noon_ ,” Sasuke stressed the words out, earning a series of chuckles from Naruto. 

“If we’re going to live together, you need to know that I like sleeping in on weekends, Sasuke,” Naruto said, cheerily. “You’re going to have to get used to it.”

Sasuke snorted from the other side of the call. “Sure.” 

Naruto grinned then. The talk of them living together had been more frequent now they were in university. There was only three more years before they could make that a reality and neither shied away from the topic. It made him even more sure that his future could no longer exist without Sasuke. Hooking a leg over his other pillow, he snuggled again into his sheets. 

Just as he was about to speak, the door to his dorm room opened and walked in was Gaara, carrying a plastic bag full of melon bread. Naruto glanced at it, wondering where he got them. He had been looking for vending machines that sold the specific type of melon bread he found back in high school and hadn’t gotten any luck yet. When Gaara tossed him a brief glance before moving to sit on his bed, the bag of melon bread now tossed carelessly on his pillows, one of the packaging had him beaming. 

Without thinking twice, he pointed at the breads and said, “Where did you get those?”

Gaara paused in his movements, glaring up at him. At the same time, Sasuke said, “Naruto?”

“Oh, sorry, Sasuke,” Naruto said, blinking. “Talking to Gaara. He bought these melon buns that I’ve been looking for.” He looked back at his roommate. “Well?”

Gaara didn’t say anything, narrowing his gaze at the Beta before he looked at his phone. Instead of answering him about the bread, the other man said, “Is that the Alpha you usually run off to every weekend?”

Naruto paused at that, his heart skipping a beat. A little panic washed over him at that, unsure of what to say. His fingers reached to grab his phone, ready to turn off the loud speaker when Sasuke answered, “Yes. You must the Alpha roommate annoying the hell out of him.”

“Sasuke,” Naruto hissed, eyes widening before he turned to look at Gaara’s deadly stare. Chuckling nervously, he said, “I’m turning off loud speaker.”

“Whatever,” Sasuke muttered. “Tell him to fuck off.”

“ _Sasuke_ ,” Naruto breathed out, alarmed at the choice of words. 

“Hey, Naruto’s Alpha,” Gaara said, “he’s a Beta.”

Sasuke remained quiet before he said, “And?”

Gaara shifted to sit properly, forearms now on his knees. His eyes landed on Naruto’s face then. “Aren’t you supposed to find a nice little Omega and settle down? You just playing with the Beta for now?”

Naruto froze at the callous words Gaara was spouting out. For a brief, terrifying second, he almost thought that there was a grain of truth in them. That was until Sasuke scoffed loudly, breaking through his thoughts and ending the doubts that began festering within him. 

“Not my kind of life,” Sasuke said. And almost in a cruel tone, he said, “I’m guessing you tried to find a nice little Omega and didn’t work out. What? Got taken by a Beta and left your ass? Is that why you’re trying to harass my boyfriend?”

Gaara narrowed his gaze, his shoulders squaring. “You don’t know anything.”

Sasuke hummed. “I don’t. You don’t know anything about us either. So I suggest you shut your mouth.”

Naruto decided that was enough and turned off the loud speaker, his face warming from the nervousness. Slight anxiety bubbled within him as he shifted to sit properly, cradling the phone to his ear. “Sasuke, I’m going to go take a shower. I’ll call you back.”

“No, keep me on the line,” Sasuke said. 

“What? No,” Naruto said, as he shuffled and got out of bed, avoiding the glare that Gaara was tossing at him. “I’ll call you once I finish showering. Promise.”

Sasuke remained quiet for a few seconds before he grunted out a reply. “If he tries anything, beat him up,” the Alpha said, earning a brief chuckle from Naruto. 

With that, the phone call ended and Naruto sighed, opening his drawers to pull out his clothes. He glanced at Gaara, who was now glaring at the floor. Sasuke’s accusation crossed his mind. Could it be true that something had happened to his roommate that caused him to dislike Betas? Something of a scenario like what Sasuke had mentioned. 

Scratching the back of his neck, he took in a deep breath. Still, he didn’t want any bad blood between them, not when they still needed to share a space at least for the next few more weeks before he could request a roommate change if Gaara didn’t like him still by then. 

Clearing his throat and making a note to lecture Sasuke on antagonising his roommate, he said, “Sorry about that. Sasuke has a sharp mouth.”

Gaara didn’t say anything to that, continuing to glare at the floor as if that had mortally offended him. Naruto could almost believe it did as he scurried to the bathroom. After showering and changing into a pair of sweatpants and an orange shirt and hoodie, he walked out while towelling his hair, deciding to head to the cafeteria to grab something to eat and call Sasuke on the way. He steeled himself as he walked into the shared space with Gaara, blinking when the Alpha was leaning against the wall on his bed, playing with his phone. 

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, taking off the towel he had draped around his neck and tossed it on his own bed. Picking up his phone and Bunta, the coin pouch he still used to this day, he shoved them both into his hoodie pockets, ready to leave. Just as he was about to turn to walk to the door, Gaara shifted on the bed. 

“Naruto,” Gaara said, catching his attention. 

His hands fumbled when a melon bun was tossed at him. Holding it tight against his chest, he stared wide-eyed at the Alpha before his blue gaze dropped onto the plastic. He grinned when he realised it was the very melon bun bread he had been looking for. 

“Are you giving this to me?” Naruto asked, looking at Gaara again. 

“Yeah,” the Alpha said. “You can buy it at the small store five minutes away from campus.”

Ah, so his suspicions were confirmed that he couldn’t get it on campus. Making a note of that, he smiled wider at his roommate who was merely staring back at him with a blank face. “Thanks, man,” Naruto said. 

Gaara rolled his eyes and went back to typing on his phone. 

He supposed that was at least progress. Slightly amused at this change of events, he walked out of his dorm room and pulled out his phone. Calling Sasuke, he shoved the device between his shoulder and ear while tearing open his melon bun packaging. It took three rings before his boyfriend answered, humming out a reply when Naruto cheerily greeted him. 

“Yo, I think Gaara’s warming up to me,” he said, earning a short silence from his boyfriend. 

“What happened?” Sasuke asked, sounding a tad put off. 

Grinning as he munched on his melon bun, he said, “He gave me the melon bun I was asking and told me where to find them. Guess whatever you said made him less hostile.”

Sasuke huffed a breath. “Maybe the bread’s poisoned. I should go there after all.”

“Shut up, Sas,” Naruto said, taking the phone into his hands again as he comfortably jogged down the stairs of his dorm apartment building and walked into the open. “I’m fine. There’s no way this bun would taste this good if it’s poisoned.”

“He gave that to you after I tore him a new one,” Sasuke said. “Definitely poisoned.”

Naruto paused in his third bite and then pulled the bread out of his mouth to stare at it. The packaging wasn’t tampered with when he opened it so he was sure that it wasn’t poisoned. He scowled. “You’re trying to make me paranoid, bastard!”

“Is it working?” Sasuke asked.

“No,” Naruto said, pursing his bottom lip as he rebelliously took another bite of his bun. 

Sasuke sighed. “If he gives you anything else as a gift, reject it.”

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. “Why?” 

“What if it’s a courting gift, stupid?” Sasuke said. “Alphas operate on another wavelength when they have set their eyes on someone.”

Naruto almost stopped walking then, a nagging thought appeared at the back of his mind. He glanced at the bun in his hands. A courting gift. With food? He didn’t really pay much attention to the courting habits between Alphas and Omegas. While he thought the best way to woo someone was to take them on a nice date, he had heard that Alphas and Omegas often did little things to start off with before taking them on a date. As if to solidify from the start that they could be the best match. 

The Beta couldn’t deny that that sounded great to him. Getting to know each other before the first date happened was nice. 

Then again… Sasuke had been adamant on feeding him since they met. And the Alpha had confessed he liked him first when Naruto hadn’t been aware of his own feelings. 

“Yo, Sasuke,” Naruto said, slowly. “Did you court me with food since the day we met?”

Sasuke remained really quiet, as if he didn’t expect the Beta to ask him that. After a beat, he just hummed and didn’t bother to answer him. Naruto’s cheeks warmed but he couldn’t help the flutter of his heart. He tightened his grip on his phone. 

With a bright tone, he said, “You did! You courted me! With food!”

“Took you long enough, stupid,” Sasuke muttered but Naruto could imagine the reddened cheeks. 

Grinning, Naruto continued to eat his bread. “I didn’t realise you guys did things differently.”

“It’s not that they’re different,” Sasuke said, softer this time. “Certain things just appeal to my instincts more.”

Naruto tilted his head to the side. “Like what?”

“Scenting,” Sasuke said. “Feeding you. Taking care of you. They appeal to me and my instincts.”

“Is it because they make you feel like a good Alpha?” Naruto teased. “Being such a good Alpha for me?”

There was another long pause, this time it went a bit too long causing the grin on his face to slide right off. He was about to open his mouth to apologise if he crossed a line when Sasuke said in a tight voice, “Don’t casually say shit like that to me. It riles me up.”

Naruto made a high-pitched surprised noise, pulling the phone away from his ear as if he could stare right through the screen at Sasuke’s face. He swallowed his bread and scrunched the plastic in his grip, blinking a few times. What set him off? Praising him that he was a good Alpha?

A flash of memory when Gaara had told him he didn’t understand the usage of ‘Alpha’ had him thinking twice. 

Curiously, he placed his phone back against his ear. “Is… Did the word Alpha did it for you?”

Sasuke sighed before he heard a soft thump. “Yeah. I like to hear that word. Admitting you see me as your Alpha. A good one.”

“Ah, so that’s what it means,” Naruto whispered to himself. 

“What it means?” Sasuke said, already alert again and the previous strangled tone was abandoned. 

Naruto paused, unsure of how to broach the subject. “Gaara… he kept calling me Beta so I told him I’ll just call him Alpha—” That sentence ended with a sharp breath from Sasuke. “Guess it’s a good thing he shot me down for suggesting that.” He gave Sasuke a nervous laugh. 

One that didn’t seem to be reciprocated. 

Sasuke said, with a voice so quiet, “Don’t call other Alphas that. If you want to call any guy that, call _me_ Alpha.”

A shiver ran down his spine at the dark tone. Tightening his grip on his phone, he made a small noise. “Okay,” he said. “I… I didn’t know what it meant.”

“Well, now you know,” Sasuke said, his voice soft. “It isn’t an insult.”

“Figured,” Naruto said as he huffed a breath. “Man, you guys are confusing.”

Sasuke snorted, his tone going back to normal. It warmed his heart at how Sasuke trusted him to learn from his mistakes, how he didn’t dwell on it once Naruto knew he was wrong and could fix it. The sense of trust he bestowed on him was…so precious and the Beta treasured it. 

“You’re telling me,” Sasuke said. After a beat he said, “My rut’s going to happen in a few days.”

That made Naruto stop walking. “What? Wow, is it that time of the year already?”

Sasuke hummed. “You made me promise to tell you when I’m about to hit my rut so.”

Naruto grinned, his heart aching as he realised how much he wished Sasuke was standing in front of him so he could hug him. He sighed under his breath. It wasn’t the first time he wished that they were closer but he had to remind himself that they were doing this for their dreams. For their goals. 

Still, he couldn’t deny he missed Sasuke. A lot. Almost to an unbearable degree at times. 

“Take care of yourself,” Naruto said, voice softer. 

“Not going to tell me to keep away from Omegas?” Sasuke teased. 

“I trust you,” Naruto said. “You told me once that you wouldn’t want to share your rut with anyone else but me when the time is right. I trust you.”

There was a pause before Sasuke breathed out. “At least you know it.”

Naruto smiled, tilting his head up to look at the sky. Teasingly, he said, “Make sure you think a lot about me.”

Sasuke snorted, his voice dropping an octave lower and successfully causing warmth to pool at the pit of his stomach as he said, “Always. In every way I dreamt of having you.”

Naruto pressed a hand over his face as he cursed at his boyfriend out loud, though the smile on his face said otherwise when he heard Sasuke chuckle. A few more days and then they would be able to meet again. For now, he would just have to make do with his voice.

***

He was currently outside, walking around the small town located just five minutes away by foot from his campus, itching to get something to drink; specifically his favourite brand of orange juice after a whole day of studying. That and he needed some air. He had been jittery as well with worry, keeping a close eye on his phone once Sasuke texted him this morning that his rut had officially started and he wouldn’t be contacting the Beta for the next few days. 

While he knew there wasn’t really anything he could do for the Alpha short offering himself up, he still wished there _was_. Scratching the back of his neck, he entered the twenty-four hours convenience shop to buy his orange juice box, sighing tad happily once he managed to get his hands on it. After paying for it, he exited the place, the cold night wind caressing his face. The streets were partially empty as well, once in a while a group of friends would walk past by him or a couple or a lone man or woman, but otherwise, the streets stayed empty. 

Sipping his orange juice, he walked down the path heading back to campus, keeping his pace nice and slow. It was when he passed by an alleyway did he stop in his tracks. He backtracked, pausing at the entrance of the dark, smaller path between two buildings, only light from the streetlight giving the place some illumination. There, hunched near a trash bin and on the ground was his roommate. 

He was sure of it. 

Furrowing his eyebrows, he didn’t hesitate to lessen the distance between them. He gasped then, his orange juice box dropping to the dirty ground and taking a splash in one of the smaller puddle of trash water when the sight of Gaara registered in his head. Squatting down, he placed a hand on the Alpha’s shoulder, trying to get him to sit properly and only earning a groan. 

“Fuck,” Naruto whispered under his breath. “Come on, man. Let’s get out of here.”

Gaara didn’t seem like he was about to respond and for a frightening few seconds, he wondered if the Alpha was unconscious. He shook Gaara, this time he got a growl back, low under his breath. Relief became palpable on his tongue at the reaction. He looked around, trying to see if there was anyone else he could ask for additional hands but there was none. 

Sighing in worry, he grabbed Gaara’s arm, causing the Alpha to flail and weakly push him away. When his roommate finally raised his head to glare at him, Naruto’s heart fell to the pit of his stomach at the quickly darkening bruise around his right eye and the blood welling up from scratching around his chin and neck. 

Gaara squinted his eyes then, looking half-drunk almost. “Naruto?” he slurred. 

“Get up, man,” Naruto said, worry now taking over his thoughts. “Let’s get out of here.”

Gaara tried to shake him off but the Beta wasn’t known to take things lying down. Instead, he grabbed his roommate’s arm and tried to get him onto his feet. It took a few tries but when he finally managed to wrap an arm around the Alpha’s waist and Gaara leaning against him, they moved out from the alleyway. Thankfully, there was a park and empty benches just a few steps away. 

Tossing Gaara onto the bench and receiving a groan no doubt in pain, Naruto crouched down in front of him to inspect his face. He didn’t have any first aid kit with him but maybe he could buy some. He stood up, patting the Alpha’s leg while at it. 

Pointing a finger at the red-haired man, he said, “Stay put. I’m going to get some things to help you out.”

Gaara didn’t reply to him, merely hunching forward as he wrapped an arm around his stomach. Naruto chewed his bottom lip, taking a look at him one last time before he quickly hurried to a nearby store that sold what he needed. By the time he came back, panting as he had rushed his way in and out of the shop, he felt less frantic when Gaara had remained sitting at the bench.

He didn’t know much about bandaging wounds and cuts but he had some idea. He thanked Iruka in his head for forcing him to learn _some_ first aid kit. Helping Gaara out with the basic wounds on his face had been a feat. The Alpha would often growl and his eyes would flash red but Naruto merely rolled his eyes and grabbed his chin, forcing his roommate to sit still. 

It was only when he was happy with how his face turned out that he pointed at Gaara’s stomach. 

“How hurt are you there?” Naruto asked. 

Gaara grunted, looking meeker now that he had been tended to his wounds. Naruto nudged him, earning a glare that no longer scared him. “I’m okay.”

“Really?” Naruto said, not really believing him but not wanting to touch him. “You look like you’ve been beaten up quite badly, dude.” He furrowed his eyebrows. “Are you being bullied?”

Did people in university still did shite like that?

“No,” Gaara said. Naruto sighed, rummaging through the plastic bag of items to grab a bottle of water. He opened the cap and handed it over to the Alpha. His roommate stared at it for a bit before he took it, drinking and grimacing. “I’m fine.”

“You say that but…” Naruto thinned his lips. “Are you sure?”

“It’s not my first time,” Gaara said. This was probably the first time Naruto learned something about him and he didn’t think it would be such a morbid fact. “It’ll pass.”

Naruto didn’t know what else to say to that. “Okay,” he said. “Then, I’ll wait for you until you’re ready to get back to the dorm. Unless you want to go to the hospital?”

“No,” Gaara said, glancing at him. He didn’t know what the ‘no’ was, the dorm or the hospital. “Go away.”

“What? And let you die here?” Naruto shook his head. “No way, man! Come on, drink more water and let’s get going.”

Gaara glanced at him again before he turned his attention the ground, glaring almost. A brief few seconds of silence passed between them before the Alpha said, “Why?”

Naruto hummed in confusion. “Why what?”

“Why help me?” The Alpha turned his body to face him. “Do you want something from me?”

He didn’t know why that sentence sounded sad, but it did. He tilted his head to one side, staring at the Alpha’s face. “Why do you like to ask me why I help you?”

Gaara furrowed his eyebrows before he frowned. “Because people always want something when they help me.”

Naruto mirrored his expression, slight burst of anger burned in him at that. No person should be questioning the intention of a help like this. Not for the first time since he met Gaara, he wondered if the other Alpha had been hurt by horrible people in the past to turn him into this man he was seeing here. He didn’t want to assume though but the cracks he was seeing now only made him uneasy and angry. 

“Well,” Naruto said, carefully. “You’re my roommate. I don’t want or need anything from you when I help you. It’s just because you’re my roommate.” After a beat he added, “Friend, even if you want.”

“We’re not friends—”

“We can be now,” Naruto said, smiling at the slightly shocked look on Gaara’s face before it was stuttered into a narrowed-eyed one. Suspicion was clear on the Alpha’s face. “What?”

“I don’t do friends,” Gaara said. “Especially Betas.”

Naruto sighed, crossing his arms against his chest at that. “You know, I don’t know you so I can’t assume but not everyone is out to get you or hurt you.” He pointed at himself. “Trust me, I would know.” He really would. “Plus, I’m a great friend. Just ask Sakura. And Sasuke before he seduced me into a relationship.” He added a cheeky wink. 

It had the desired effect though. Gaara snorted under his breath as if he was amusedbefore the man before him froze and a monotonous mask slid over his face. Again, it reminded him so much of Sasuke. His heart ached again then, worry now shifted from his roommate to the Alpha. He took out his phone, opening the messaging app out of reflex only to force himself to stop. 

Sasuke had told him he wouldn’t be able to contact him so he wasn’t sure why he kept doing this. 

“I want to take a walk,” Gaara said, catching his attention. 

“Walk?” Naruto frowned deeper, shoving his phone into his hoodie jacket pocket. “You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine,” Gaara said as he stood up. He winced a bit but after a while, it seemed that he indeed looked fine. Naruto wasn’t sure what to do so he got up as well. “You should head back.”

“I’ll walk with you,” Naruto said, smiling. “If you don’t want to go back to your dorm now, we can do later.” Gaara furrowed his eyebrows and the Beta could almost _see_ him about to ask why again. So, he beat him to it and said, “We’re friends now. Ah-ah! Even if I’m a Beta. I said so.” He grinned. “Hey, you told me there’s a shop that sells the buns I like. Show me.”

Gaara looked like he wanted to argue but when Naruto merely stared ta him, the Alpha sighed. He muttered, “You’re stubborn.”

“Heh,” Naruto said, grinning wider. “Thanks.”

“Not a compliment,” Gaara said but Naruto caught the slightly uplift of his lips. 

While they walked though, the air between them was less angry, less tense. In fact, it felt like there was something lighter now. Like they _could_ be friends. He glanced at Gaara. He wondered how often he got into these kinds of beatings and why. But he wasn’t that stupid to ask, not when Naruto finally got Gaara to speak more than a few sentences. 

***

The next morning, Gaara had walked into their dorm room, looking far better than he did last night and tossed a bun at his lap while he had been in the process of waking up. The Beta blinked awake then, alarmed at the sudden change of attitude. When he did pick the bread up and grinned, the Alpha had rolled his eyes and went back to the moody guy he was as he opened his laptop, focusing his attention on it. 

While he had taken that as a new token to a friendship, his mind still wandered back to Sasuke. It was the second day of his rut. By the time it was noon, he was fidgeting often while he tried his hardest to kept his attention on his books. By the fifth flick of a page and flicking it back, Gaara sighed loudly. 

“What has you twisted like a pretzel?” Gaara said. 

The words sounded so foreign coming out from his roommate that Naruto snorted, his anxiety bubbling down a bit. He smiled at the Alpha before he scratched the back of his neck, unsure if he should tell him about it. But… Gaara was also an Alpha. Surely, he could tell him about a few things. At the end, he sighed and shook his phone. 

“My boyfriend’s in rut,” Naruto said. “I’m just worried. I know I can’t help him now.” He shrugged. “I just feel useless.”

“That’s because you are useless,” Gaara said, causing him to take in a sharp breath. “You’re a Beta. That wouldn’t help your Alpha.”

“I’m aware,” Naruto said, a bit dryly. 

Gaara stared at him. “That’s why you should end it with your Alpha. You can’t help him in his rut. He’s better off with an Omega.” 

Naruto gritted his teeth, a flare of irritation in his mind. He sighed harshly and tossed his phone to his side, standing up to move to his desk. While he could handle disses against him for being a Beta, he could rarely stand someone talking bad about his relationship with Sasuke. While he knew that it shouldn’t bother anyone but them, it still irked him. He trusted Sasuke. Naruto, himself, might be inadequate for the Alpha but there was no mistake that Sasuke was someone he wanted to try and hold onto for as long as he could. 

“Sasuke is with me for me,” he said. “He doesn’t want anyone else but me and I feel the same. It’s nothing to do with your secondary gender.” 

Gaara kept the blank stare on his face. “Is that what he said?”

“Yes,” Naruto said. “Look, Gaara… I know people won’t understand us. And I’m not trying to change anyone’s minds. I just would like it if my relationship with Sasuke is at the very least respected.”

“I,” Gaara started before he sighed, glancing to the floor. “I’m just warning you of the reality.”

Naruto gave him a weak smile at that. “Not everyone’s reality is the same.”

Gaara remained quiet before he rolled his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. “Whatever, your risk, Beta.” 

Naruto shrugged. “I’ll take the risk.”

They didn’t exchange anymore words for a while before Gaara shifted on his bed and said, “Alphas need a lot of attention during a rut. Especially during the days leading up to their rut.”

Naruto snapped his gaze at him, blinking as he took in the information. Cautiously he said, “What kind of attention?”

“Food, water, keeping them sane,” Gaara said, tossing him a pointed look. 

Naruto swallowed a lump forming in his throat. He didn’t know why Gaara suddenly was giving him this information but he wasn’t going to deny it. “What happens if they’re not taken care of? Does it hurt?”

“No,” Gaara said. “Uncomfortable, at most. Or so I heard. I wouldn’t know.”

“What do you mean?” Naruto asked, wondering if this was another small information about Gaara. 

And it seemed he would when the Alpha shrugged and said, “Never been in a rut.”

It took him a second to understand that Gaara meant what he had said. He opened and closed his mouth, a question brewing at the tip of his tongue. The Alpha looked at him then, almost anticipating his query. “I thought even under suppressants, Alphas go through one rut per year.”

Gaara shrugged again. “My ruts are violent. So I’m under maximum dose.”

He said it so flippantly as if it wasn’t a big deal. Naruto was once again at a loss on what to do. Violent ruts. He wasn’t sure if it was insensitive to ask about it so he could only nod, getting up to move to his bed where his phone was. Sitting at the end, he took his phone to look at it. 

“Sorry,” Naruto said, hoping his sympathy had reached him. 

Gaara shrugged once more, going back to doing what he was doing before. It was then his phone made a sound, indicating he had a new message. It was from Sakura. Clicking open the messaging app, his heart skipped a beat as nervous flutters echoed in his stomach at what she had sent. 

It was a picture of Sasuke and a woman with two other men surrounding him. The woman was grinning into the camera and so did the other two men, Sasuke scowling. The caption of the picture was ‘Grumpy bastard finally hangs out with us!’. Sakura’s message underneath was, ‘Has the Uchiha made friends?’

Naruto bit his bottom lip, zooming into the picture. Every time Naruto had asked about Sasuke’s friends, he simply said he didn’t have any or that he was forcibly taken to lunch or dinner by a few people. But the Alpha never made a move to show him pictures of said people who took him to meals. He didn’t even know their names or what they did with his boyfriend during those meals. 

He tightened his grip on his phone, a pang of uneasiness washed over him. 

‘I guess so. How did you find that picture?’ Naruto typed back. 

And the fact that Sasuke despised having his photo taken and yet allowed this owner of the account to upload one also didn’t settle well in him. 

‘From my friend,’ Sakura typed out. ‘The account belongs to Karin, the girl in the pic. Apparently they’ve been hanging out for the past few weeks. Her account is littered with his pics and the other two boys.’

Karin. 

He learned the name of Sasuke’s friends, because they had to be friends if they were hanging out often, from someone else. 

He should be happy that Sasuke wasn’t alone. And of course he was. But he… 

He thought Sasuke would tell him. 

Naruto told him about Gaara and about his other friends. He thought Sasuke would do the same. He shook his head then, typing back a short message to Sakura and placed his phone next to him. He got up and walked to the bathroom, closing the door and then moving to the sink to look at his face. He was being pathetic. Sasuke had a life and it didn’t have to always include him. 

Yet, his heart throbbed in his chest. 

He would ask about this later when Sasuke was done with his rut. 

For now, he just had to trust him that there was a reason he never brought it up.

***

When Sasuke’s rut ended, the Alpha called him the very next day. Naruto’s heart skipped a beat, having not heard of his voice in quite a bit. When he insisted on a video call at the end, Naruto had taken the call outside of his dorm, deciding to walk around the campus while taking in his boyfriend’s face. He looked tired but also fresh at the same time. There was a brief smile on the pink lips, one that had Naruto grinning back. 

When he found a bench, he sat down, sighing happily at the night sky and the lack of people around him. 

“You look better,” Naruto voiced out his thought. 

“I feel better,” Sasuke said, though his voice rasped a bit lower than usual. “You?”

“I’m good,” Naruto said, carefully not letting the worry he had been feeling these past few days to slip into his tone. It was enough to see with his own eyes that Sasuke was fine. Fuck, it felt like it had been so long since he properly touched him. He curled his fingers into a fist on his free hand and placed them on his palm. “Without you nagging me twenty-four seven, it was nice.”

“Don’t be an asshole, stupid,” Sasuke said but his lips quirked into an amused smile, nevertheless. “You missed me.”

“I did?” Naruto said, turning his head to the left and right in a show to look for someone. “Hm.”

“Naruto.”

“Of course I did, jerk,” Naruto said, finally turning his attention back at Sasuke with a cheeky smile. His smile that then shifted into something warm as he took in his boyfriend’s face. “I missed you.”

Sasuke hummed, leaning closer as his smile shifted into something warm and gentle as well, stealing his breath away. “I’ll see you this weekend.”

“Yeah,” Naruto said, his heart fluttering against his chest. “How did you do on your exams?”

“It went okay,” Sasuke said, shrugging. “Probably full marks.”

Naruto grinned again, amused at the level of confidence the Alpha put out. “I wouldn’t get too cocky if I were you. Maybe there’s another genius out there ready to grab your title.”

“I doubt it,” Sasuke said, not even hesitating to retort. “I’m the best.”

“Sure,” Naruto said, smiling when Sasuke rolled his eyes. 

“Is your roommate still bothering you?” Sasuke asked, catching his attention. 

He hummed, shaking his head. “I think we’re friends now.”

“Friends?” Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. “I’ve been gone for less than a few days and you became friends?”

“Hey,” Naruto said with a shrug. “I’m a good friend maker.”

Sasuke stared at him before he leaned into his pillows, finally adjusting his camera and making Naruto see that he was on his bed. “How did that happen?”

He hesitated to recount the events. 

After a beat though, especially at the eyebrow-raised look Sasuke was tossing him, the Beta said, “He was beaten up at an alleyway the other night. I was on my way back to the dorm after buying my orange juice box and came across him. So, I tended to his wounds at a park nearby and because I helped him, we became friends. He even bought me bread again the next morning as thanks.”

Sasuke’s shoulders squared, his eyes narrowing at Naruto. “Didn’t I tell you not to accept anything else from that roommate of yours, Naruto?”

“It’s not a courting gift,” Naruto said, waving away his worries immediately. “It was a thanks gift. That’s all.”

Sasuke hummed, but he still looked displeased. “You always did like helping others. Even back in high school.”

“He was alone and hurt,” Naruto said, shrugging. “I can’t leave him there.”

“I would’ve,” Sasuke said, deadpanned.

“That’s because you’re a jerk,” Naruto said, but he smiled nevertheless to reduce the blow of his words. 

“Hn,” Sasuke said, rolling his eyes. “Whatever. If he makes advances on you, I’m punching him.”

“Sasuke,” Naruto whined, tilting his head back. 

“Don’t whine at me,” Sasuke said. “I’m just saying.”

“You should trust me more, bastard,” Naruto said, pursing his lips. 

“I do, “ Sasuke said without missing a beat. 

Naruto smiled, seeing the flick of those lips quirking upwards once. “I know,” Naruto said. 

It was then he heard a clatter from the other side of the phone and Sasuke flicking his gaze at something past the camera. Sasuke’s lips then turned into a scowl as a female voice echoed into the room. Naruto froze, his heart almost stopped beating. 

Especially when Sasuke yelled, “Karin! Get the fuck out of my room!”

_Karin_. 

He heard hushed whispers and a giggle before Sasuke grumbled and turned his attention back to Naruto. The Beta remained froze, staring at the screen. Someone was at Sasuke’s place and judging by the name, it was Sasuke’s friend. Friends. Ones that his boyfriend hadn’t introduced. And when Sasuke told him about his plans for tomorrow, he realised with a sinking heart that he wasn’t going to explain about Karin. 

His heart clenched tight and before he could stop himself, he said, “Who’s Karin?”

_And why was she at your place just after your rut was over?_

Sasuke stopped talking, his eyes boring into his blue ones before he blew out a soft breath. “Ah, Karin?”

Naruto thinned his lips, his shoulders squaring at the reluctance. “Yeah, Karin.” 

Sasuke rubbed a hand down his face. “A pest that won’t leave me alone.”

A bang from the door then echoed from his phone followed by a high-pitched screech of, “A pest? We took care of your ass before and after your rut, Sasuke! How could you be so mean?”

Sasuke’s eyes widened before his cheeks reddened. Naruto’s grip on the phone tightened as the words filtered through his mind. “Get out,” Sasuke hissed. 

Karin grumbled and then the door closed again, leaving the duo in silence. 

Naruto opened his mouth then. “What did… she mean? Took care of you—”

“They just checked up on me before my rut to make sure I didn’t run low on food and then here after my rut to make sure I didn’t die or something,” Sasuke said, explaining.

“ _They_?” Naruto questioned. 

“Suigetsu and Kisame,” Sasuke said. “The other two…”

“Sasuke,” Naruto said, getting bit worked up at the clear hesitance in his boyfriend’s voice in explaining further. “They’re your friends, aren’t they? Why haven’t you told me about them?”

Sasuke searched his face before he said, “I didn’t think it was important.”

Naruto sighed under his breath. “You didn’t think it was important to tell me about your life over there.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Sasuke said, sitting up straighter. “It’s not a big deal, Naruto. We’re not even close friends.”

“It is a big deal,” Naruto insisted. “I tell you about everything here. I thought you would share me this too. Dude, I have to find out through Sakura.”

Sasuke remained quiet for a bit and then said the most insensitive shit Naruto had ever heard coming from his boyfriend’s mouth, “You don’t have to tell me anything about your life there if you didn’t want to, Naruto. Just like how I didn’t think it was important to tell you about this.”

He gritted his teeth, hurt and anger washed over him at that. Heat prickled in his eyes. “What the fuck, man? Did you forget what you promised me back in high school? This is the same thing all over again.”

The Alpha adjusted his camera so he was looking at him properly. His eyebrows were furrowed, no doubt displeased with the sudden change of topic. “I do remember.”

“Yeah? What was the promise then?” Naruto said. “Hm?”

Sasuke sighed. “Naruto—”

“The promise, Sasuke.”

“I would tell you if something big happens to me,” Sasuke said, stressing each word out. “Something _big_ , Naruto. Those people leeching on me are not what I call ‘something big’.”

Naruto thinned his lips. He remained quiet for a bit, trying to gather his bearings. “I told you things about my life here not because I was forced to. I wanted you to know. To care about what’s happening here.”

“And I do care,” Sasuke said, voice softening. 

“And I care too,” Naruto said, deflating a little. “I care about your life there, Sasuke. I’m just… I didn’t even know you made friends. Every time I ask you, you say you didn’t.”

“That’s because I don’t consider them as friends,” Sasuke said, sighing.

“It doesn’t seem like that to me,” Naruto said, bitterness crawling into his tone. “Especially when your photo is everywhere on Karin’s social media page and she’s casually at your place _after your rut_. I’m not even allowed to come see you!”

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, searching his face. “I didn’t consent to any of those pictures being uploaded. She just did it herself. And the only reason they’re even allowed here is because I do need someone to check up on me during my ruts. Especially when I spend them _alone_.” 

Naruto bit his inner cheek, knowing what Sasuke was trying to emphasise here. “So, you didn’t think it’s a big deal you trusted your _friends_ to come see you after your rut because you needed someone to keep an eye on you.”

The Alpha didn’t reply to that. And Naruto knew he was right. “Naruto—”

“You said I shouldn’t meet with your friends, remember when you said that to me, Sasuke?” Naruto took in a deep breath. “Is it the same this time too?”

“Naruto, why does it matter if I have friends or not?” Sasuke said. “I would rather see you.”

“Don’t.” Naruto’s voice had been tense enough that it brought forth silence in between them for a few seconds. “You can’t keep saying that as an excuse to not let me into your life. For now, it’s just friends but later? What if you don’t want to share anything bigger than that?”

“That isn’t what I’m trying to do. I made a promise and I’m keeping it,” Sasuke sighed again, rubbing a hand down his face. “Naruto…”

“I didn’t want to find out about your friends this way and from someone else,” Naruto said. “Maybe I’m an idiot for expecting you’d tell me about them.”

“I feel like you’re asking for a report on what’s going on in my life here,” Sasuke said, sounding agitated. “I have a life, Naruto.”

Those words stunned him for a moment. He knew that. He knew Sasuke had a life. He didn’t expect to have a report, he just wanted to know big milestones or… Maybe he was asking a lot. He tightened his grip on his phone. 

“I know,” Naruto whispered. “I gotta go.”

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, stopping him. “Don’t. I’m not there to talk to you properly so don—”

“You can talk to me when you see or maybe not, I don’t care,” Naruto hissed, his voice thick of emotions. “You have a _life_ , so talk to me or see me or whatever _if_ you have the time.” 

With that he ended the video call, slumping back down on his bench. He tossed his phone to his side as he pressed his hands against his face. He wasn’t mad. He was just disappointed. And that feeling wasn’t even directed at Sasuke. It was at himself. He should’ve let it go. Sasuke didn’t have to tell him about his friends. He didn’t understand why he wouldn’t but Naruto shouldn’t have insisted. 

For the first time since he ended up with Sasuke, his heart ached in his chest and he was regretting being this far apart from him. 

Had he been the only one hurting and wishing his boyfriend was by his side again? 

Didn’t Sasuke feel the same way?

Did his friends even know about him?

His bottom lip wobbled as he took in deep, shuddering breaths. 

And all of a sudden, he grew cold thinking Sasuke hadn’t even acknowledged his existence to anyone there.

***

He had half-expected Sasuke to cancel the weekend trip to see him. He wouldn’t have blamed him, not when Naruto had spent the rest of the week ignoring his calls and messages. Feeling listless, he continued to slump on his bed even when the time had passed noon. It was a Saturday and he wanted nothing more but to bury himself deep into the sheets and never come out. 

That was until he heard a knock on his door. A few quick knocks that Naruto ignored. He only startled awake when the knocks ended up into a bang. Stumbling out of his room when there was another loud bang, he tossed a glance at his roommate who seemed to be missing. Yanking the door open in just a black shirt and a pair of boxers, he expected to find Gaara. 

Instead… he found himself staring straight at the boyfriend he had been mad at. 

Sasuke had his fist raised ready to knock again, stopping mid-air. The dark eyes bored into him and Naruto’s whole world screeched to a stop for a while. His throat dried. There hadn’t been a slither of hope that he would be seeing Sasuke here again. What more, in front of his dorm room. And standing before him with a look so blank that it took him back to the time he first met the Alpha. 

When a few students walked past them, some glancing at them, he winced and opened the door wider. It was either letting Sasuke in or pushing him out of the building and bring him elsewhere. When the shock left his system and brought back the lingering tiredness, he simply walked back inside. Opening his drawers, he took out his sweatpants to wear them, no longer thinking about going to sleep. 

Sasuke closed the door behind him and stood at the entrance, making no move to come in any deeper. The Beta merely waved his hand as a permission for him to come inside further, one that the Alpha had taken as he moved to stand in between two beds. As if he knew, he sat at the edge of Naruto’s bed, now dark eyes on him as the blond-haired boy moved to his desk. 

“Where’s your phone?” Sasuke asked, his words weren’t dripping of any tone that Naruto could detect. 

“What?” Naruto asked, frowning. 

“Your _phone_ ,” Sasuke said. “Where is it?” Confused, he pointed at his phone at the bedside table. Sasuke stared at it before he looked back at the Beta. “Is it broken?”

“What?” Naruto said, sounding like a broken record. “Uh, no?”

“Then why the _hell_ are you not answering my calls and messages?” 

Ah, so that was where this was going. Naruto rolled his eyes and went to take a seat on his chair, bringing a leg against his chest as he folded his arms around his knee, placing his chin on top of it. He shrugged, not bothering to say anything else to the Alpha out of pettiness. 

“Why should I?” he said, voice dry. “I have a _life_ after all.”

Sasuke sighed, sharply. “Naruto, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Oh?” Guess they were picking this conversation right back where they left it, much to the Beta’s displeasure. He pursed his bottom lip, glancing away to glare at his academic calendar taped against a cork board. And then at the plans… the sheet of paper that he had taken from Sasuke’s notebook. His heart ached in his chest. “My bad for misunderstanding then.”

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, his voice sharp. 

“No,” Naruto said, slamming his foot down on the ground before turning to fully face him, eyes narrowed. He pointed a finger at his boyfriend. “ _You_ don’t get to sound like you’re disappointed in me.”

Sasuke thinned his lips. “You’re not listening to me.”

“What could you possibly explain to me about not wanting me to know about your life, Sasuke?” Naruto crossed his arms against his chest. He sounded tired. “You did the same thing last time. You keep hiding your friends from me.”

“I’m not hiding them from you,” Sasuke said, quietly, the previous blank mask was now broken to give him a full view of frustration and desperation. One that had tugged at Naruto’s heart strings. Still, the Alpha made no move to close the distance between them, much to the Beta’s relief. “I meant it when I said it wasn’t important. I didn’t think it was important. All I wanted was to be with you. To see you.”

“I don’t…” Naruto sighed, bowing his head for a bit to gather his thoughts as the previous hurt washed over him. “I’m not asking for a miracle. I just…”

“I know,” Sasuke said, catching his eyes. “I’m…” The Alpha took in a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I didn’t think much about what happens over there or who I’m friends with. Because at the end of the day, all I’m looking forward to is to be by your side.”

Naruto remained quiet, letting that seer into his mind for a bit as he catalogued his own emotions. This was the first time Sasuke ever apologised to him. Even back when they were in high school, when they had an argument, it was something they mutually agreed it was over. No one apologisd. And… he didn’t realise how much they needed to until now. “You told me you had a life there and implied I shouldn’t—”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Sasuke said, insisting. “I said that out of anger. Naruto, _I’m sorry_.”

Naruto’s bottom lip wobbled before he took in ashuddering deep breath. He refused to cry like a baby. But…“Why did you say it then?”

Sasuke shrugged. “I don’t know.” He rubbed a hand down his face. “At that time, my rut is just over and I’m still feeling all kinds of tense and… it’s not an excuse. I don’t have any. I’m just sorry.”

“You can have a life, Sasuke,” Naruto said, softly as he held Sasuke’s gaze. “I know we have different lives.” He sighed, nodding as he sat straighter. He had freaked out when he found out Karin was in his place and Sasuke avoided the topic. He didn’t mean to come across as forcing something out from his boyfriend. “I should trust you. You would tell me if you want.”

“You are right, though,” Sasuke said, looking slightly pained. “You’re right. I should’ve told you about them. I know we have lives but what you’re asking isn’t a lot. I’m still not really used to having a boyfriend yet.”

“For someone so confident on sweeping me off my feet, you surely are a cowardly bastard,” Naruto said, though it was lacking anger and hurt, more so slightly amused. Sasuke’s shoulders slumped, nevertheless, as if he had expected it. “What now?”

“I just want to see you and hold you, Naruto,” Sasuke said, searching his face. “Only that. I only ever need that.”

Naruto’s breath hitched in his throat at the words. For the first time since they got together, he saw the fear in those eyes. He stood up then, lessening the distance between them. Hesitating just for a second, he took a seat close to Sasuke, turning his body to face him. 

“It’s just an argument, Sasuke,” Naruto said, trying to placate him as he placed a hand on his knee, giving him an assured smile. “We’ve had plenty of those before, remember?”

“Not like this,” Sasuke said. “Not when I couldn’t even see you when you got that mad.”

Naruto bit his bottom lip, finally allowing himself to indulge in this craving as he scooted closer and pressed his forehead against his shoulder. “I shouldn’t have ignored your calls and messages. I’m not used to having a boyfriend too.” 

Sasuke hesitated, his hands hovered over him before Naruto grabbed his wrists and wrapped him around his body. The Alpha moved then, wrapping on around his waist and hauled him close enough that the Beta was on his lap. He yelped, face warming before the pain and hurt washed away to bring back the deep affection he held for his boyfriend. 

A hand pressed at the back of his neck, squeezing his nape. 

“I’m sorry too,” Naruto said, pressing his lips against Sasuke’s clothed skin. “I got jealous too…of Karin. And your friends.”

Sasuke hugged him tighter, burying his face against the crook of his neck, one that he allowed freely. He even tilted his head slightly, melting against his embrace. “Idiot,” Sasuke said, his voice returning back to the usual teasing lilt he was used to. “You don’t have to.”

“But I am,” Naruto insisted, a little whiny. “She got to see you after your rut immediately and they were at your place while you won’t even let me visit you.” He tightened his grip on Sasuke. “I want to see you too.”

Sasuke remained quiet for a while before he sighed, pressing his lips against his tan skin. “It’s a long trip, you’ll be tired, Naruto.” Naruto opened his mouth, about to protest again when the Alpha squeezed his waist and added, “If it’s once in a while, then…”

Naruto pulled away then, pressing a hand on his boyfriend’s face to meet his eyes. “I can?”

“I still don’t want you to get tired,” Sasuke said, a frown crossing his face. 

Naruto grinned then, hugging him tight. “I won’t. I promise. I wanna see you.” Sasuke sighed, nodding against him, earning a giddy laugh from the Beta. They remained like that for a while before a question popped into his head. He poked Sasuke’s sides, earning a hum. “How did you know where my dorm is and what number?”

“I asked Sakura,” Sasuke said. 

Naruto paused, pulling away to look at him again. “Sakura gave it to you? Without saying anything?”

The Alpha snorted. “She had a lot to say. I still got them from her at the end.” Sasuke then gestured to the room. “This room’s small.”

“Small but enough for me,” Naruto said, sighing. Sasuke then landed his gaze at Gaara’s bed, briefly tensing. Naruto could already tell what he was going to ask so he said, “Yeah, that’s Gaara’s bed.”

“It’s too close to yours,” Sasuke said. 

Naruto snickered. “He tends to keep to himself most of the time.”

Sasuke hummed but he didn’t look too happy about it. It wasn’t like he could do anything though. “Also,” the Alpha said, eyeing him before he pinched his nose. “Do you always just walk around wearing just boxers in here?”

Naruto’s face coloured, a sheepish smile crawled on his face. He pulled away from the pinch. “No, I just was extremely lazy and usually by the time I wake up, Gaara’s gone.” 

“Hn,” Sasuke said before he leaned in close, their noses brushing again, this time sending shivers down his spine. “I think I like you just wearing those. Only for me.”

Naruto raised his eyebrows, unable to help himself as he tilted his head to the side a bit and grinned. “I can do that.”

Sasuke snorted before he pressed his lips against the corner of his mouth, making the Beta sigh. He shook his boyfriend’s shoulder, moving to sit in front of him again though his legs were still carelessly tossed at each side of the Alpha’s hip. The pale-skinned man then looked at him, searching his face. 

“Here,” Sasuke said, shifting a bit to pull out his phone from his jean pockets and unlocking his screen. Then, he opened his messaging application and gave it to Naruto. He pressed on a group chat. “Read.”

Naruto frowned, confused before he realised what group chat it was. Karin, Suigetsu, Sasuke and Kisame were in it, like a small gang. He glanced up at Sasuke, wondering if it was truly okay but his boyfriend merely nodded, shifting to go sit against his headboard. Naruto immediately crawled up to him and sat next to the Alpha, allowing Sasuke to throw an arm across his shoulders and pulled him close. 

Scrolling through the messages, he drank up every bit of information he could about his lover. As predicted, most of the messages were by the other three, but Sasuke only replied once in a while. Then, he stopped at a particular message. One that had his breath stolen from his chest and his heart thundering loudly. It was dated at the first month in university when he started hearing Sasuke had people dragging him to lunch. 

Karin was asking him about his love life and Sasuke didn’t want to answer until she started speculating. 

‘ _No, I don’t want to go to any stupid group dates, leave me alone. I have a lover_ ,’ was Sasuke’s reply to her insistent nagging. 

That had sparked a conversation and then there it was, a picture of him grinning with Sasuke and the caption of a message underneath from Sasuke going, ‘ _The one I love. Now you know, leave me out of this mess_.’

He remembered this picture. They took this just a shy week before they were about to go on their separate ways to different universities. It was one that made into Naruto’s wallpaper on his laptop and phone. 

Naruto dropped the Alpha’s phone onto his lap, turning to look at him only for a pair of lips to come crashing into his. The Beta kissed him back, placing a hand on his jaw while he allowed Sasuke to drop the arm that had been around his shoulders to his waist, pulling him in close. When they pulled away, their foreheads touched and Naruto _finally_ had the name to this sudden wash of emotions that weren’t just _like_. 

“You love me?” Naruto said, eyes wide as his heart skipped a beat. 

Sasuke didn’t even bother to deny it as he smiled. “Yeah,” he said. 

Naruto grinned, allowing a peck on his lips before he snuggled up to his boyfriend, pressing his face against Sasuke’s shoulder and tossing a leg over his lap. Sasuke loved him. He squeezed him tight. Sasuke loved him. 

“I love you too,” Naruto whispered against him. 

Sasuke froze for a second before he was gently pulled away. The dark eyes bored into his blue ones before the Alpha said, “Say it again.”

“I love you,” Naruto said. 

And then, he was being kissed within an inch of his life.

**End Chapter Side Story:**

**Summer**

Naruto was finally back home. After a semester in uni, he was exhausted. Who knew university took so much out of him? He sighed loudly as he flopped on his bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering if he should just waste the first day of his vacation by taking a long nap. Immediately as the thought entered his mind, he tossed it away. No. He had a mission this summer and he was going to see through to it. 

Sitting up, grabbed his laptop, glancing at his now closed bedroom door. Deciding to also close the curtains so he was shrouded by darkness except for the light coming from the sun outside, he angled the screen close to his body and away from any prying eyes in case someone barged into his room. Not that anyone would. Iruka had welcomed him with open arms and then told him to take care of the house while Kakashi and him went on a one-week holiday somewhere. 

Naruto forgot where, but case point, he was mostly alone now. 

Sasuke might come by later but he would worry about that then. 

He stared at his search engine site, wondering how to put it into words. 

Typing in words such as ‘sex’ and ‘boys’ revealed mostly help sites and people asking questions about their sexuality. With his search safe toggled on, he was at least not bombarded by porn sites. At least, he knew he had to venture there _someday_ but for now, maybe getting factual information would help. 

Though, to his disappointment, most of them were sex advices between Betas rather than an Alpha and a Beta. Sasuke had told him that sex between them would be how it would be between two men. And sure, while that was the case, he was pretty sure there were some slight differences. Right? 

Adding his secondary gender and Sasuke’s into the search bar revealed much more in-depth sources he could check out. At a certain click into a forum, his heart skipped a beat at a particular user asking the same thing he wanted to know: How did one have sex with an Alpha male while being a Beta male?

The answers below there had him finally humming. He leaned in forward, narrowing his eyes before slight fear crawled and settled at the pit of his stomach. Apparently Alphas were bigger than a typical Beta and if he would to be the receiver, there was going to be a lot of preparation involved. He swallowed past his dry throat, tossing a glance at himself down there and scratched the back of his neck. As long as there was tons of lube and preparation with a tentative and caring partner, he should be fine. 

Well, that was the consensus until he saw a particular forum post warning against having sex with Alpha as a Beta because it would just hurt regardless. 

Naruto sighed, leaning against the wall to look straight ahead as he contemplated his life choices. 

He knew he would be the once receiving it. Sasuke had said he preferred it if he was the one on top and it wasn’t like Naruto hadn’t thought how it would feel to have him in him. His face warmed. He just didn’t know how… big Sasuke was or how prepared he should be. Sure, they did the very rare hand jobs but Naruto never really got a chance to properly look at it. Being new at this, both of them often fumbled with things like that. He sighed, flopping onto his bed. He gotten the steps needed to start preparing himself. Maybe he could try practising on himself before he broached the topic with Sasuke. 

Yeah… 

This didn’t come out of nowhere either. Since their first time in the car a few months back, they hadn’t really broached it again. At least, not too often. He wanted more, and for the first time in his life, he craved Sasuke’s touch on him and everywhere. 

He wanted it. 

He just didn’t know how to ask for it. 

For now, he would just need to try this out himself.

***

Sasuke chose the wrong goddamn time to barge into his room. 

Naruto froze, his body tensed, staring at his boyfriend who was now at the door, staring at him like he had seen medusa. His breath hitched in his throat and immediately yanked his fingers out of himself, yelping. He grabbed his blanket and tossed over his lap, scrambling to sit up. 

Face flushed, more so due to the fact he had his fingers in him rather than the embarrassment, he kept his gaze down at his lap. “Uh… Sasuke… what are you doing here?”

Sasuke remained quiet, so deadly quiet that he wondered if he had shocked his boyfriend enough that he died. When he chanced a glance at the Alpha, his breath hitched in his throat at the emotions in those eyes. He fidgeted, laughing nervously as he grimaced at the slickness between his fingers. 

“I’m going to go wash this off,” Naruto mumbled, ears burning as he tried to get out of bed only for Sasuke to take a step into the room, halting him.When he looked up at his boyfriend, his heart skipped a beat at those dark eyes now landing on his bare chest. “S-Sasuke?”

“Uh,” Sasuke said, looking out of character. “Do you… What are you doing?”

Naruto sat back down, blinking before he shrugged. With his clean hand, he ran his fingers through his hair. “What did it look like I was doing?”

“Fucking yourself?”

“Do you have to be so crude, bastard?” Naruto whined as he slumped back on his pillows, no longer caring now that he was caught in the act. 

Just like that, Sasuke managed to diffuse the situation as if it wasn’t a big deal. Much to his relief. He tossed a smile at his boyfriend who finally seemed to take that as encouragement as he closed the bedroom door and walked closer to him. The Alpha hesitated before he took a seat at the edge of the bed. 

The Alpha searched his face before he dragged his eyes to his tan skin and then around him. Pale fingers then grasped at the opened lube tube, staring at it. Naruto grew flustered when those dark eyes met his again. The silence between them now felt charged. 

“Why?” Sasuke said, his cheeks pinked a little. 

Naruto bit his bottom lip, sitting up again to look at him in the eyes. Deciding it was best if he was straightforward, he said, “Because… I want to have sex with you.”

Sasuke hummed, dropping the tube of lube next to their legs. He then gestured at Naruto before he shifted and placed a hand on the mattress next to his waist, trapping Naruto. “You don’t have to push yourself, Naruto,” Sasuke said as he placed his free hand on the Beta’s cheek, caressing his face. “I’m fine just the way it is.”

Naruto smiled then, the nervousness in the pit of his stomach intensified at that. He knew they didn’t have to. Sasuke had made it clear many times before that they could do whatever they wanted and not do whatever they didn’t want to. Still, he was a healthy young man. He had needs too. 

He scooted closer to Sasuke, pressing his face further into Sasuke’s touch as he stared into the eyes. 

“I know,” Naruto said. “But…I want to. I really do. Only if you want to too.” After a beat, he took in a deep breath. “Even did some research.”

“Research?” Sasuke said, slightly amused but there was softness in his gaze when Naruto glared at him. 

The caress on his cheek turned into a slight pinch, causing the Beta to try and escape his touch. Sasuke shook his head, trying to get him back near him and that ended into a brief scuffle. At the end, Sasuke ended up with his knees on either side Naruto’s hip as the Beta was flat on his back, staring straight up at him. 

They looked at each other for quite some time. Naruto’s wrists were trapped within Sasuke’s grasp and he… liked it. He liked his touch on him, his weight on him. He wanted this. A flare of heat crawled under his skin at the rapidly darkening eyes on him. Prying a hand out of Sasuke’s grip, he touched his boyfriend’s jaw and brought his face close. Their noses brushed then, gently in a few swipes. 

“I want it,” Naruto said. “Only if you want to. But I want it.”

“Now?” Sasuke said. 

“Now,” Naruto said, giving him a nervous smile. “If you want. I mean, I already prepared. Cleaned myself and stuff.”

Sasuke searched his face, almost like he was taking in him carefully. Then, Sasuke let him go and pressed both hands on his face, caressing his cheeks. Naruto closed his eyes when the Alpha pressed his lips on his forehead then dragged them to his nose, pecking him there. 

When he opened his eyes, it was to pale skin flushed a tad red and a smile on his boyfriend’s face. 

“Okay,” Sasuke said. “We’ll… take it as slow as we can. And if you want to stop, you just tell me, okay?”

Naruto grinned then, excitement bubbling in the pit of his stomach as he wrapped his arms around Sasuke’s neck and kept their faces close. “Okay,” he whispered. “You’ll take care of me, won’t you?”

“Always,” Sasuke said and then he pressed his lips against Naruto’s. 

And Sasuke did take care of him. It wasn’t what he expected their first time to be but it was nevertheless something he cherished. There were jabs of typical insults between them, laughter and occasionally mess-ups. It wasn’t perfect at all by any means. It didn’t hurt after Sasuke had prepped him for what seemed like an hour or so despite Naruto learning that the rumours about Alpha packing it slightly above average was true—much to the Alpha’s amusement. But that didn’t mean they could last long and just as quickly as they started, they ended. 

Sasuke panted above him, pressing a hand on his hip while the other against the sheets near his head while Naruto was looking at him with a giddy, breathless grin. They stared at each other before they burst out laughing at the situation they were in. 

“We didn’t even last for more than a few minutes,” Naruto wheezed, slapping Sasuke’s shoulder. 

Sasuke snorted, pressing closer against the Beta, placing his forehead against the pillow next to his head. “Shut up.”

Naruto continued to laugh, patting his boyfriend’s back before pressing an amused grin against the pale skin now flushed due to the exertion. He winced a bit when Sasuke’s hip moved, still stuck inside of him. Thank God they wore condoms though. Naruto patted his own back mentally for being prepared. 

“It’s funny,” Naruto snickered, allowing his boyfriend to pull away to look at him. “Aww, is your Alpha ego bruised?”

“Naruto,” Sasuke sighed, rolling his eyes when Naruto snorted into another wave of laughter. “It’s not that funny.”

“It really is,” Naruto said, smiling. “Didn’t say it wasn’t good though. We can definitely use the practise.”

Sasuke’s lips twitched upwards for just a second before they burst out laughing again. By the time they managed to clean up and take a quick shower and Naruto managed to cuddle up next to Sasuke, head on his chest and arms tossed around his waist, the amusement faded into warmth and happiness. Sasuke rubbed a hand up and down his back softly, while he tightened his grip around the pale waist. 

“For a first time, that was fun,” Naruto said. 

“Is it?” Sasuke said, looking down at him. Naruto nodded. “Not bad?”

“Not bad at all,” he said, smiling. “We did the best we could for a start. Plus, not bad with a Beta, eh?”

“Stupid,” Sasuke said, snorting. “Secondary gender has nothing to do with it.”

“But isn’t having sex with an Omega involves slick?” Naruto asked, unashamed. 

Sasuke paused before he shrugged. “Don’t really care about Omegas. Secondary genders when it comes to these are still the same for Alphas and Betas.” After a beat, he added with a smirk, “Except that I’m bigger than you.”

Naruto’s eyebrow twitched before he pouted, rolling his eyes. “Whatever, man,” he said. “Let me top you and I’ll show you.”

Sasuke didn’t say anything for a while and then he said, “I wouldn’t mind it once in a while if you want to try and top me. I still think I prefer topping you but if you want, I wouldn’t mind it.”

Naruto froze before he lifted his head to look at his boyfriend. There was seriousness in those eyes. He teased, “You’re such a control freak and you’re telling me you’re letting me take the reins and take care of you for once?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Do you want it or not?”

“Of course I do!” Naruto said, slapping Sasuke’s stomach so hard, that the Alpha winced. He smiled, rubbing the slightly reddened skin. “I’ll show you paradise.”

“Stupid,” Sasuke said, earning a grin from the Beta. “I trust you. That’s why I’m letting you.”

Naruto’s heart warmed at that. Sasuke brushed a finger against his forehead, tucking a strand of blond hair to the back of his ear. The Beta caught his hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a chaste kiss there. “And I trust you. You took care of me.”

Sasuke smiled then. Naruto leaned back down, placing his head against the Alpha’s chest and snuggled once more against his boyfriend. 

It wasn’t like he expected anything extremely good. It was perfect as a first time. In a sense, there were a lot of mistakes but they adjusted as they went along. And to Naruto, he managed to understand how easily he could feel so connected to his boyfriend. 

“Hey,” Naruto said, “it’s summer. Where do you want to go?”

Sasuke hummed, shifting a bit to settle down properly against his pillows. “Nowhere. I’m fine here.”

Naruto hummed as well, couldn’t deny that. “I guess me too. Well, whatever. As long as you’re with me, I don’t care where we go.”

“Bold words,” Sasuke said. 

Naruto perched his chin on his chest to look at him again. “Don’t you feel the same?”

He expected the Alpha to insult him again but instead, in the softest voice he had ever heard, he said, “Of course I feel the same way.”

And Naruto smiled at that, his heart threatening to burst in his chest at that. 

* * *

**tbc**


End file.
